Concessions
by lawless
Summary: Seven years after he left, Sagara Sanosuke returns to pay his respects to old friends, only to find himself embroiled in a conflict that would test his values, his beliefs, and ultimately his character. Where does the struggle end and concessions begin?
1. Prologue: The Embarkation

**Concessions**

****_by lawless_

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__DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

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**Prologue: _The Embarkation_**

_Tokyo__ Harbor_

He watched the usual bustle of the docks, a lone man leaning against the rail of the steam ship, _Asuka_. There was a slight breeze passing from the East and the chill it brought reminded the people of the coming cold as they drew their coats closer to their bodies. But the man on deck did not seem bothered by it as he continued his quiet observation of the scene below him.

He was a young man of six and twenty, tall and lean, with longish brown hair held back with a red bandanna. His sun-baked features, made more pronounced by the faint stubbles on his chin and the hard glint in his eyes, seemed in contrast to his age, as though he suddenly had to grow up in a hurry in order not to be left behind. He wore clothes that belonged more to Westerners who came to his country, but like many others, he grew up in these streets in the chaos of war, learning how to use his fists and the strength of his legs, learning to fight to survive.

Seven years ago, he leftJapanby a ship moored in this very harbor. The police were after him for a crime that he committed when he was very young and foolish. Not wishing to spend his days languishing in prison, he made a rash decision and boarded that ship as a stowaway with little more than the clothes on his back and some money borrowed from the most unexpected sources.

Now, he was back and he wondered whether a person could change so much.

"Winter is early this year," a voice said behind him, pulling him back from his reveries.

He turned to find cool onyx eyes looking back at him. If he felt surprise, the emotion did not register on his face. "Huang Liwei," he acknowledged, watching as the diminutive woman lean against the rail next to him. The wind whipped her short-cropped hair around her face but she ignored it. She followed him here, this friend who was not always.

"The days are turning gray," she murmured in her lilting accent, gazing ahead.

He smiled. "Were they ever a different color?" Most days were only tolerable. When she did not respond, he glanced away, frowning a little as he remembered what brought him back in the first place.

The letter had been waiting for him when he arrived in Hong Kongsix months ago. He'd read it once, the crisp _kanji_ informing him of the deaths of one Himura Kenshin and his wife. Nothing more personal than that, and certainly, nothing that indicated that the people involved had been two of his closest friends.

He knew about the bout of sickness that Kenshin suffered. He was there, after all, and it was he who took care of him for two weeks while waiting for the first ship to take him back toJapan. He watched that ship leave port and he wondered then if it would be the last time he would ever see his friend.

The letter had lain on the floor forgotten as he'd turned to face the window of his apartment, looking out at the view of the thrashing ocean waves. It calmed him – the sea; it assured him that something out there was bigger than he. Behind him had come Huang Liwei but she'd said nothing as she'd stepped beside him, and he'd found himself thinking that the paper was creased in places where it was folded.

To fit inside a capsule and tied around a carrier pigeon's leg, the letter had to be folded a hundred times over.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Huang Liwei asked, fixing her eyes on something distant. With the sunset and the wind bearing down on her, she looked small somehow, smaller than he remembered.

"Yes," he answered, adding in a quiet tone, "but there is one more crease that has to be made."

"Did you tell them?" She inquired.

"I told no one."

She turned to face him, watching him for a quiet moment, before she gazed away once more, murmuring, "Yang Liu, if you are broken, it means you are brittle."

He bowed his head then and spoke, "I know."

They were quiet after that, standing there on the deck of the ship and facing the harbor, while the Tokyo sky blazed in the background, signaling that dusk was about to come.

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TBC

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**AN **Hello, hello. Some of you may remember this is one of the very first fanfics I've ever written and posted online. So after many long years and one boring week, I've decided to re-post the edited chapters for posterity's sake. The story has changed somewhat although some parts I pretty much left intact. I'm still currently in the process of editing the later chapters and I have to warn those who read and remember the earlier version of this story that the ending might change.

So this is set in canon some seven years after Sano left Japan. For its background, I took inspiration from the Seisouhen OVA and a SanoMeg fanfic that I rather enjoyed. (It's called _Yokae Mae no Yami ni_ by Mirune Keishiko and is in my faves list, if you care to look.) The story mostly takes place in the first few months of Sano's return to Japan with some flashback chapters to his time with the Kenshingumi and when he was in Hong Kong.

This is primarily a SanoMeg fanfic but all the usual characters are present, except for Kenshin and Kaoru whose fates are sealed by the 2nd OVA. There are OCs, some new villains and a really pretentious plot, but I hope you enjoy reading this or re-reading this.

Finally, let's all cross our fingers and hope that the Rurouni Kenshin live-action movie is as great as its trailer makes it out to be. Also, the new manga!


	2. Chapter 1: A Proposal

**Concessions**

_by lawless_

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DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

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**Chapter 1: _A Proposal_**

_Aizu_

_Three months earlier..._

Takani Megumi leaned back in her chair and rubbed her neck to ease the tense muscles there, all the while eyeing the neat pile of papers on her desk that quietly demanded her attention.

Most of them were reports about hospital concerns filed by the staff, reports that she, as assistant to the administrator, needed to look into before passing it on to the hospital administrator, Sanada, for his perusal. The rest were patient files she made herself and an assortment of letters of correspondence from both friends and colleagues.

One such letter was from a man she did not know, telling her that the Oguni Clinic in Tokyo had been bequeathed to her by Oguni Genzai. The kindly doctor, who was like a father to her, passed away summer of two years ago but only now was she informed about the bequest. The man who sent her the letter explained that it took a long while to arrange everything for in the bequest, Genzai_-sensei_ had likewise named another person, Sakamura Itei, as his successor to the practice in case Megumi decided to renounce her right to it.

The man was asking now if Megumi wished to accept the bequest and if so, would she come toTokyoto see the clinic for herself? Obviously, the man had no idea who she was or how she was even related to Oguni Genzai. Years before she returned to her home town in Aizu, Megumi practiced as his assistant, helping him treat patients and maintain the clinic. She had friends inTokyo, good friends whom, until over a year ago, she visited every year at spring.

But that year, she suffered a loss and did not think then that she could bear to go back and relive it all. Death was a horrible thing. In her line of work, it was always around her but that never lessened the pain or made it any easier to bear. Now, she thought she was recovered, but was she ready to go back?

"I trust everything is well, _kohai._" A voice suddenly broke into her reveries, its tone coolly detached.

Megumi looked up at the white-haired elderly man who was just stepping inside her office. Tazuke Mibu, a senior physician at the Sanada Hospital and one of several who frowned upon Megumi's medical practice and her fast ascension in the administrative ladder. He and the others believed – and perhaps, they had good reason in believing – that the young Takani's success had less to do with her skills as a doctor than with the fame attached to her surname and her familial relation with the Sanada family.

The Takani, before the Bakumatsu, was a famous family of doctors whose members were especially adept with Western medicine. Takani Megumi was the youngest daughter and even though she was a woman, she was made to study the craft and became a medical practitioner like all the rest of the Takani. During the war, every one of them, save for young Megumi, served in the battlefield and none of them ever returned. Megumi had an older brother but it was believed that he, too, died in that war.

Now, there were whispers circulating around about Takani Megumi, who came back to Aizu after having disappeared for several years. The rumors were untrue and some of them were even downright ridiculous, but sometimes, when she least expected it, they hurt, too. Her greatest consternation was when people started talking that there was more than friendship between her and Sanada Hanzo. What caused harm was not that it was completely baseless but that it created a rift between her and the Sanada family. What face could she give them now?

The letter from that man came at a very opportune moment. It gave her a way out to avoid the rumors and have the perfect excuse in case Sanada Hanzo wanted an explanation for her sudden leaving. A young doctor would not refuse this rare opportunity to have her own practice. But….

Was she running away? A long time ago she ran away from something, too.

Tazuke Mibu cleared his throat and again Megumi was brought back to the present. "_Sumimasen_, Tazuke-_sensei_, there was something on my mind," she said, excusing herself, asking "But what can I do for you?"

He eyed her for a moment and suddenly, Megumi was reminded of that time when she came up to the doctor and imprudently introduced herself, saying that she was a great admirer of his work. The white-haired doctor merely gave her a cursory glance before he turned to his colleagues, saying, "Isn't it odd how females encroach themselves in a profession so intended for men?"

He had been on her case since the beginning, never missing an opportunity to point out to her the mistakes that she made. She thought she knew what she was doing – Genzai-_sensei_ always praised her for her work – but under Tazuke Mibu's watchful eyes, she felt like a child playing at being an adult. Several times, she lost face in front of her own patients as Tazuke Mibu made his disparaging remarks, until Sanada Hanzo discovered the abuse. A month afterwards, Megumi was appointed as his assistant, her work at the office keeping her mostly out of Tazuke's way.

Still, there were days when it could not be avoided. Days such as now. She wondered if Tazuke Mibu heard about the rumor, and if so, was he here to make his own insinuations?

Megumi steeled herself as the white-haired doctor finally spoke, "I was just passing by and I thought I haven't seen my _kohai_ in a while." He smiled, adding, "Sitting behind that desk must be relaxing as compared to…well, the actual practice of medicine."

That…was expected; she did not miss his meaning. "Everything is well, Tazuke-_sensei_," she said coolly despite the flush she felt warming her face. "Thank you for your concern."

Just then, Megumi's assistant arrived, murmuring an apology and bowing.

"It's quite all right, Keiko-_san_, what is it?" She asked.

"_Ano…._" Keiko's eyes darted for a moment in the white-haired doctor's direction, before she said, "Maki-_san_ is waiting outside, _sensei_. Shall I bring him in?"

From the corners of her eyes, Megumi saw Tazuke Mibu raise a single white brow in a gesture of disdain. Along with her doctoring, he was not in favor of Megumi's associations with patients. She decided to ignore him as she nodded to Keiko to bring her visitor in.

David McKay was not even her patient. He had been a patient at the hospital but that was roughly three years ago when he was first brought to the hospital. Megumi recognized the symptoms at once – feverish, night-sweating, and a craving so deep that he would hurt just from needing the brown powdered substance. Her world narrowed itself down to that cot where the scrawny-looking _gaijin_ lay while her thoughts mocked her with a voice filled with accusation: _'Opium woman.'_

Megumi did everything she could for the _gaijin_. Being addicted to opium was easy; it was the reversal that took the longest time, testing both the body and spirit of one who wanted to recover. But David McKay proved to be strong and little by little, she watched him restored to health. The day before he was discharged, David McKay asked her if he could come to the hospital once in a while to visit her. Megumi did not say no.

"I see you have a visitor." The white-haired doctor's voice interrupted the silence as the assistant exited through the door, presumably to bring the _gaijin_ up. Tazuke Mibu was watching her as he said something that made Megumi pause. "Consider this as advice from one colleague to another, Takani-_san_," he said, "often a doctor is only as good as his next patient."

It was a deft reprimand. But was it also a warning? Megumi raised her eyes but Tazuke Mibu was already turning his back and walking out of the door.

At the doorway, he was met by a blushing Keiko and a tall, blonde man casually dressed in white shirt and khakis. Even to a person who had seen her fair share of foreigners, the blonde looked entirely out of place against the traditional walls of the hospital and Keiko, dressed in _kimono_ and _obi,_ standing beside him.

"Mornin'," the American drawled out a greeting, his blue eyes crinkling as he smiled at the white-haired doctor. But he was met only with a withering glance as Tazuke Mibu quickly made his way past him. That flustered the _gaijin_ somewhat but he tried to hide it and instead put on a big smile when his glance fell on Megumi.

"Why do I have the feeling he doesn't like me?" He asked her, taking a seat without waiting to be told.

Megumi smiled apologetically. "Please do not take offense. Tazuke-_sensei_ is in a bit of a hurry."

"I wasn't interrupting you two, was I?" He said this one in English but Megumi had only little trouble understanding him. She had spent time studying the language, realizing that she had to if she wanted to read Western medical literature.

She laughed. "Now, now, Maki-_san_," she said, voice taking on a playful note, "you know that is not quite what I said."

"Oh, good," he said. His tone of voice was light enough but Megumi thought there was a catch so she glanced at him sharply, taking in the way he was seated, stiff and erect, his hands holding his cap a little too tightly. He wasn't even looking at her but at a certain point above her head. She saw all the signs and recognized them. "So anyway…" The _gaijin_ started, not noticing her sudden quiet but before he could say what was on his mind, Keiko stepped into the office again, this time with a telegram for the assistant administrator.

_A telegram?_ Megumi puzzled, taking the rectangular piece of paper from Keiko's hands and murmuring a soft, "_Domou._" It was fromTokyo; she recognized the stamp on the left corner, and all at once she felt a strong pang of remembrance settle down in her stomach.

The last time she received a telegram fromTokyo, it was an urgent request for her to come. Kaoru was ailing, exhibiting the same symptoms as her husband, Himura Kenshin had. But even as Megumi packed her bags immediately and took the first train toTokyo, there was nothing left for her to do when she arrived but to watch the woman die. No herb, no Western medical technique could help her. Kaoru, her friend who was not always, was gone.

"Megumi?"

The voice calling her name drew Megumi's attention back to the man who sat in front of her. He was looking at her expectantly, his blue eyes unsmiling for once, and she thought that there was something sad in their depths, like he, too, had known of parting.

"Would you like me to leave while you read that message?" He asked softly.

Megumi glanced at the forgotten piece of paper in her hand and then at his blue eyes. "I'm sorry. I guess I was remembering –"

"I'm sorry. I must interrupt you," he said, suddenly starting from his seat.

Megumi felt apprehension seize her and above all she wanted to stop him but he was speaking in low, emotion-ridden tones, telling her his main reason for coming that day. Megumi, who was not unused to being made subject to amorous speeches by men, was however unprepared for the sincerity with which David said his piece. Or for his frankness. So that after he was finished, she continued to sit there, smiling faintly, her gaze resting on his face.

"Maki-_san_," she began after some length, but he started, as though he could not bear to hear her rejection of him.

"You don't have to answer now," he said quickly, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I just wanted you to know…that this is how I feel. If my feelings are a nuisance, then you don't have to put up with them for long." He looked at her and added with the faintest inflection of sadness in his voice, "I am leaving Aizu, Megumi."

It was one of those still autumn days when the air was light and haunted by the scent of summer past. It was a day for memories and it recalled to Megumi those happy afternoons spent with friends in Tokyo. However, those days were gone, and the _gaijin_ only offered a fleeting echo of those same sensations.

Although Megumi was not exactly ostracized by Aizu's close-knit society, it was apparent in the way they let her keep to herself and yet talked about her that they found something objectionable about her person. She was not _burakumin_ – an untouchable – but men who made love to her with words did so only in secret and women simply viewed her, if not with disdain, then with a sense of distance.

The truth was that Megumi was lonely. And David McKay was _gaijin_; he was not moved by the sentiments of her people. She was genuinely fond of him – his sense of humor and openness, but more than that she wanted: someone who would look at her and not find her wanting.

As soon as she realized this, Megumi stirred from her lassitude and turned her gaze to him. "Maki-_san_, I cannot tell you what you want to hear," she told him softly, honestly, "but it should come as no secret how fond I am of your friendship. I'm sorry to hurt you. It must be my fault, something that I've said or done –"

"Not at all!" David immediately protested. "It's not your fault and I don't blame you. It's…shall we not talk about it."

This last statement was a plea, and though she felt a soft tugging in her heart, she acquiesced, and let the subject matter drop. Instead, she asked him about his departure and the _gaijin_ told her that his brother, who was arriving fromHong Kong that week, had asked to see him.

"Megumi," he said, clearing his throat. "When I get back fromTokyo, is it alright if I come to see you once in a while?"

She smiled. "I would very much like that, Maki-_san_."**  
**

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TBC

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**AN **All the art for this fic is by jute whatever. You can see the artwork she made for this chapter in her tumblr excursus-digression (dot) tumblr (dot) com


	3. Chapter 2: Homecoming

**Concessions**

_by lawless_

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DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

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**Chapter 2: _Homecoming_**

_Tokyo_

Every city has a distinct personality, a characteristic no different from that of a real person. London was an old aristocrat, calmly reserved and wise with age while New York was a spirited youth, teeming with enthusiasm and filled with a zest for life. Each belonged to a different world, a different time...

And Tokyo sat smack in the middle of this chasm.

The capital of the country, euphemistically called the "Land of the Rising Sun," was a busy, bustling port city that had crawled out of the blue waters and sandy beaches of the Pacific. It was intent on its quest for progress, keen and attentive to the ways of the new world and yet, still maintaining an age-old atmosphere of elegance untouched by neither Time nor people.

At a small roadside café near the quay, owned by a French national known only as Pierre, two men, sailors by their tanned looks, sat comfortably at a table across each other. Their ship docked an hour before and after taking care of some business, they proceeded to Pierre's place which was only a few blocks away. One of the men, the blonde, was a regular patron and had declared to his younger companion that the cafe served the best crepes in the whole country. The compliment was a given, of course, since Pierre's was probably the only restaurant in Japan that served crepes.

"So how does it feel to be back, Yang Liu?" Pete McKay, captain of the _Southern Breeze_, asked, grinning as he made a sweeping gesture with his burly arms. "Or should I start calling you Sagara-_san_ now?" His blue eyes twinkled merrily as he stared at his dark-haired friend.

"Can't really say, Mac," Sagara Sanosuke replied to the _gaijin_'s question. "At least, not until I get a sip of good, old Japanese _sake_." This last bit was said with an entirely serious face but the mocking tone in his voice said otherwise.

"Just a sip?" The American asked, chuckling.

"A sip and a jug."

McKay laughed appreciatively. At that moment, Pierre arrived, carrying their orders on a silver tea service and for a while, the two men were quiet as they ate the different confections served up to them.

"I suppose you'll be paying a visit to old friends?" McKay asked later. He was leaning back in his chair, smoking a cheroot (compliments of the house). At Sano's nod, he continued, "I'll be returning shortly to Hong Kong. I received a wire just now from our Mr. Wu."

Sano paused between mouthfuls. "Do you need me for anything?"

Mr. Wu was a client of theirs based in Hong Kong. They usually delivered goods for him - silk, porcelain, tea, coffee, and other commodities - to neighboring islands, Japan included. It was not unusual at all that the captain of the _Southern Breeze_ would get a wire message from him, requesting a second delivery.

"Nah, I'll handle it myself," the American said dismissively, taking a sip of his coffee. "It's just for two weeks besides."

"Because I've got places to go," Sano explained.

McKay's blue eyes twinkled again as he leaned forward, gesturing slightly with his cheroot. "Right," he responded, grinning, "I remember you told me about this woman. You left without telling her anything. I guess she's still waiting for you, huh?"

Sano coughed, nearly choking on his coffee.

He had not informed McKay of his real reasons for coming back. _Hell, I'm not even sure of them myself,_ he thought. He'd only told him that he got a letter and that he needed to go back. The American, for all his innate frankness, had been close-mouthed for once, telling him that the _Southern Breeze_ was preparing for a trip to Japan anyway to deliver Mr. Wu's goods. Sano had immediately taken him up on his offer. Of course, as part-owner of the ship, he had every right to request free passage to whichever country he wanted to be at a given moment. But Sano had always deferred to the older man's judgment.

"I doubt it," he finally managed to choke out.

He found himself regretting not for the first time ever being drunk and coerced into revealing buried details about his past which he would rather left...buried. He decided that brandy was an effective means of interrogation. Grinning easily, he placed down his cup and idly twirled the unlit cheroot Pierre had left on his side of the table.

The American made as though to stretch as he drew back his chair and stood. "Well, Yang Liu, life's certainly peachy 'round these parts. I'm surprised you even left. But I suppose you had your reasons as I had mine."

Sano also stood and picked up his long coat. Somehow, he felt strange to be wearing these Western clothes, now that he was in his home country. He shrugged into the thick bolt of material, musing all the while about the old garments he used to wear - white _gi_ with "_aku_" on its back, his symbol of youthful rebellion and fierce idealism. He was much too old and much too jaded for that kind of blatant posturing now.

The American was talking. "I just wish you weren't as attractive to the women as you made out to be," he complained. "I swear, since you came on board, I found myself escorting middle-aged matrons instead of young, flushed girls."

"Sorry, Mac," Sano said, grinning. "Ya just ain't got the charm," he added in his best American accent.

"Nah, ya just wait and see. I hear Japanese girls like Americans. I might just give ya a run for your money yet!"

"How much do you want to put down?" Sano retorted smoothly.

The older man roared with laughter, thumping his back good-naturedly. After the laughter subsided, they talked some more, about business mostly, and as they rounded a corner, he quickly reminded Sano of the date for their next big shipment from India. Then, the two men went on opposite ways.

Sano walked the busy streets, taking in the sights and sounds that were at once strange and familiar. He found the city that had been his home for most of his teenaged years strangely altered.

On the surface, Tokyo was still the same Tokyo he had known. There was little change to be seen. The same old structures stood where they had stood for years. The same stalls dotted the sides of the roads. Even the owner of the shop at the corner was still the same man, only a bit more ancient now than Sano remembered. And interspersed among these familiar sights were new ones, things which Sano recognized in his travels as signs of progress.

The Akabeko-ya, sight of many freeloading days, looked oddly squat now that other similar structures loomed near the area. He stood still for a moment, watching the bustle inside the renovated restaurant inn from across the street. From his vantage point, he thought that he could see the figure of its owner, Seikihara Tae, walking from table to table. It occurred to him that he still owed her those unpaid tabs and that he ought to pay her now that he had the means. Ah, but that could wait for another day. His long house at Ruffian Row…. _Right, I gave it to Yahiko. The brat lives there now_.

Sano drew to a stop when he reached the old _dojo_, his mind clouded with memories. He thought that any moment now, he would hear the sound of a young Kaoru screeching at Yahiko along with the crash of something heavy, a _bokken_ perhaps, thrown at her pupil. He was sure that when he stepped in, the first sight that would greet him was a red-haired former _rurouni_ squatting on the ground, hands buried in laundry water and that peaceful smile on his face.

It seemed real. It was real. But no longer.

He was coming home to an empty house. Even so, he took a deep breath before he prepared to push the door open...

...And nearly jumped when a young boy collided into him.

The boy ended up sprawled on the ground, glaring up at the tall Japanese man dressed in _gaijin_clothes staring down at him with an indescribable expression on his face.

_There's a perfectly logical explanation for this,_Sano was thinking as he found himself seeing a Yahiko from ten years ago, looking exactly the same. He watched the boy stand up and give him the fiercest glare his tiny little body could master.

"Shinya-_chan_!" A young woman said, exasperation obvious in her voice, but she stopped when she caught sight of the man standing there.

Something nagged at the back of Sano's mind as he gazed at the woman. He felt like he should recognize her. For her part, the woman was also staring at him with a peculiar expression on her face.

"_Okaa-san_," the boy 'Shinya' tugged at the sleeves of the young woman, apparently his mother. "_Okaa-san_, who is that man?"

The young woman forgot about him for a moment as she continued to stare up at the stranger.

Everything finally dawned on Sano as he at last recognized her. It made sense. And the young boy was exactly the spitting image of his father. So that could only mean that the woman was...

"Tsubame…_chan_?" He asked tentatively, not quite sure yet.

The woman's pretty face split into a smile. "Sanosuke-_san_, it is you!"

* * *

"So when did you say he's coming back?" Sano asked later, now sitting comfortably on the front _engawa _of the _dojo_house. Tsubame came in carrying a teapot and some cups.

"Yahiko-_kun _won't be back until dusk," she answered as she poured tea for him.

Sano thanked her, taking the steaming cup as he did so. After seating herself opposite him, Tsubame looked towards young Shinya practicing with a bamboo sword in the yard, an indulgent little smile on her face.

"For a minute there, I thought I was seeing his father," Sano volunteered, also watching the boy. The young _kenkaku_ certainly had Yahiko's face and build and apparently his skill with the _shinai_as well.

Tsubame flushed and gave a light laugh, too embarrassed to put in a rejoinder. Sano grinned, realizing that the girl was still as shy as he remembered.

They talked for a bit, catching up on old times. They had not really known each other that well. To Tsubame, he really was nothing more than that street-fighter who was perpetually asking credit from Sekihara Tae. And to Sano, Tsubame was nothing more than that shy little girl working at the Akabeko-ya whom he occasionally paired up with Yahiko just to embarrass the hell out of the brat. He was pleasantly surprised to find that it worked between them. So she was part of the family now and Sano found that they had much to talk about.

She told him all the recent news about their dysfunctional little family and old friends - how Misao was now married to Shinomori Aoshi, the former Oniwabanshuu Okashira (it was arranged but both seemed perfectly satisfied with the situation), how Megumi was now an assistant administrator at the Sanada Hospital in Aizu, how Yutaro, Yahiko's best friend and sometimes arch-nemesis, returned over a year ago after years of study in Holland and now worked as instructor at the _dojo_- including all the tiny, seemingly inconsequential events happening in the lives of his friends, things that he had missed during his seven-year absence.

Listening to her, Sano realized how much he left behind. He had been too involved in his own travels to the point that he had forgotten to care about the affairs of the friends back home. In fact, when he thought back now, he found that only once did he write a letter, informing them about his whereabouts and that was five, maybe six years ago.

_Too long ago,_ he surmised, watching the now-grown Tsubame whom he last remembered as a little girl of fourteen. Yahiko would be a young man now, probably still a brat, but by the looks of his little family, a responsible brat at least. Misao...somehow, he couldn't imagine Makimachi Misao ever growing old (or married for that matter), so he compromised and settled for a more sedate version of the hyper-cheerful _ninja_girl.

So that left only Megumi. They've had their differences, but he'd be lying to himself if he'd said he never wondered about her. Was she still the same old Megumi – overly forward and sharp-tongued? Or had the _kitsune_mellowed down these past few years? Had she changed at all?

He had a few dozen questions to ask, but he was not sure how to begin. So he let the moment pass, allowing the light conversation with Tsubame to flow on for several minutes more.

Afterwards, he stood up and asked Tsubame about the shrine to both Kenshin and Kaoru. She told him it was located in the courtyard; he only had to follow the stone steps. The shrine was located near the _koi_pond to the east.

Following her directions, Sano later found himself staring at the tomb marks, the last remaining symbols of two lives once lived. The names on their _kaimyo_were meaningless to him. As he sat there alone, he willed himself to feel something that was akin to sorrow or even pain. He had lost two of his friends; he ought to feel something. But all he felt was numb.

Nothing. 'Hollow' was the word that came to mind.

He had said his farewell to Kenshin when he placed him on that ship to Yokohama. To _jou-chan_, he had nothing to say but the fierce girl had been as dear to him as a sister and there were no words to describe that.

He sat there and wondered, without any trace of regret, how things would have been if he had not left Japan.

* * *

A steam ship docked and people from all walks of life began streaming out. They pushed against each other as they tried to be the first to step on solid ground after weeks of being cooped up within the ship's confinement. Dock workers and stevedores were hollering at their comrades, who had somehow made it to the ship, giving them instructions on where to place which cargo. There was the usual noise of excited people shouting at the sight of a family member who had been gone for a long time.

A bit removed from all that bustle was an elegant-looking carriage drawn by two magnificent black stallions. The horses fidgeted as though unused to standing still for any length of time. People who passed near the boxed contraption made sure to steer clear for they saw that two fierce-looking men stood guard. Despite the law against it, they were carrying _katana_which only indicated that the man they were working for must be someone with enough influence as to be able to defy the authorities.

A thin man ran up to the carriage but was stopped along the way by the two swordsmen.

"I have a message from Mr. Wu Tongshi," the man, obviously a runner, explained.

But the swordsmen did not move an inch until a voice from the carriage said, "Let him through."

The thin man immediately approached the man inside the carriage whose face was hidden in the shadowed compartment.

"You have a message?" The distinguished accent in his voice told him that he was an affluent man.

The thin man nodded and reached inside his _gi_. Instantly, the swordsmen drew their swords and pointed it threateningly at the man who could only stare at the blades in terror.

"It's quite all right," the man inside the carriage said, a disapproving tone in his voice.

"Yes, sir," the swordsmen murmured as they withdrew their swords, returning them to their respective _saya_.

The threat to his safety out of the way, the thin man then produced a crumpled little note and handed it to the man who read it and promptly folded it carefully. He did not say anything, merely knocked on the roof of the carriage to indicate to the driver that they should start moving. The crowd dispersed as the carriage ambled along.**  
**

* * *

TBC

* * *

**AN **Okay, I'm going to stop for a while once I get to chapter 5 in order to rest.


	4. Chapter 3: Of Memories and Scars

**Concessions**

_by lawless_

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

* * *

**Chapter 3: _Of Memories and Scars_**

"Sagara."

"Shinomori."

"Sanosuke!"

"Oi, weasel girl."

- PUNCH! -

"_Kuso!_ That hurt!"

"That's for leaving us without a word."

"But I _did_ leave word. I told –"

- PINCH! -

"_Itai, itai_! What the hell was _that_ for?"

"And that's for calling me 'weasel girl.'"

"_Che_. You're brutal, you know that?"

"_Yare, yare_," said Tsubame, trying to usher them all inside the _dojo_. As soon as she donned the mother-hen cloak for them, she lost her shyness and spoke with the confidence of one who was mistress of her own home. "It's almost time for dinner. Where's Yahiko-_kun_?" She asked the newcomers.

"Oh, he'll be here shortly, Tsubame-_chan_. He said he's picking up some stuff for Kenji-_chan,_" Shinomori Misao, nee Makimachi, answered in a nonchalant voice.

"Kenji-_chan_?"

Tsubame turned to Sano smilingly. "Kenji-_chan_ is Ken-_san_ and Kaoru-_chan_'s boy."

The puzzlement did not leave Sano's face. "Kenshin had…a son?"

"Yes."

"They got married. What did you think was the result of that?" Misao said snidely.

Sano glanced down at her, a wicked expression on his face. "And what about you, Mrs. Shinomori? When do I expect to see a little weasel running around the Aoi-ya, huh?"

Misao's enthusiasm was quickly deflated as her face turned beet red from embarrassment and annoyance. "Why, you..."

Sano was saved from Misao's inevitable display of violent reactions because at that instant, a spiky-haired bullet went past them and straight into his mother's waiting arms. A minute later, the older version of this bullet arrived holding several packages in one arm and a crying bundle in another.

"_Tadaima!_" Yahiko called, then stopped dead in his tracks, his jaw dropping. "I don't believe..." His voice trailed off as a slow grin formed on his youthful brown face. "Sanosuke _no baka!_" Instantly, he bounded over to the taller man, giving him a firm punch on the shoulder, hard enough to force Sano to start coughing.

"_Che_. You're just as violent as weasel girl here," Sano grumbled good-naturedly as he rubbed the hurt spot. Then, he grinned when he caught sight of the tiny scrunched up face peeking from the crook of Yahiko's arm. Large dark eyes were staring up at him in wonder. "And this little monster must be Kenji-_chan_!" He exclaimed, already starting to coo playfully at the babe.

Yahiko chuckled as he held up the child. "Sagara Sanosuke, meet the future Mistress of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Just watch. She's going to be as good in _kenjutsu_ as her namesake was."

"Mistress?" Sano repeated. "I thought Kenshin had a son."

"_Baka_, that's not Kenji," Misao corrected him. "That's Kaoru-_chan_, Shinya's little sister."

"Well, I'll be…" Sano trailed off, staring down at the fierce face of the girl-child who was glaring up at him as though she knew she had been insulted by this tall man in _gaijin_ clothing. "Oh, yeah, I see the resemblance," he said slowly, adding, "But do you think it's a good idea to name her after _jou-chan?_ She might take after her with her cooking and then no man on earth would want her."

Yahiko laughed, too much in a good mood to take offense. Besides, he considered it a great honor to name his daughter after the woman who practically raised him. But just for good measure, he made sure he stepped on Sano's toes on his way inside the house, saying, "Kenji-_chan_ is studying under the tutelage of Hiko Soujirou."

"Who? That drunk-ass with the ego the size of a mountain?"

Yahiko smiled wanly. Sano, it seemed, was still the same Sano. "Anyway, Kenji-_chan_ left several months ago and he hasn't returned since. But now and again, he sends a letter to ask for a few things – clothes, some of his favorite sweets that Tsubame makes, little stuff."

"I'm curious about the kind of man Kenshin's son is," Sano said, following Yahiko inside. The others had already gone ahead of them. "Does he brood a lot like his dad?"

"He is Kenshin's son in some respects," Yahiko affirmed, "but he is also Kaoru's son."

"Well, that's good to know."

"Today I received a letter from him, asking for some new clothes. He grows so fast I won't be surprised if I see him and he's taller than me."

"Take heart, Yahiko-_chan_," Sano rejoined mockingly. "Short people have their uses. Just look at you. How many years have you been married? And two kids already? You've been busy."

"I will forget that you said that because you just arrived from god only knows where."

"It feels good to be back."

After the ruckus of dinner, Sano withdrew quietly to the _engawa_ outside the dining hall. Dinner had been, well, interesting, to say the least. Again, that strange influx of both familiarity and unfamiliarity pervaded the atmosphere around him until he could not take much of it anymore and he had to step out. He sighed, propping his back against a post and tilting his head to gaze at the starlit sky.

_Too many memories_, he thought to himself, running a hand through his hair. _Too much._ A shaft of light from inside the dojo fell on his callused palm, revealing the smooth layer of skin where a wound had been, made by a _tanto_. He carefully studied it, tracing his index finger along the line. All these years of fighting and none of the scars he received from numerous battles, none of them bore the significance of this one mark.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Sano straightened and glanced at Yahiko's shadowed form. He was carrying two _sake _cups and handed one to him. "I've been away for too long. I've forgotten..." He tried to sound casual but the younger man saw through the façade.

"You've changed, Sano," Yahiko observed quietly.

"Yeah," he replied as he downed the contents of the cup, feeling the fiery liquid scorch a path down his throat. "When I left, I found that I needed to shed some part of myself," he said dryly.

He remembered what he was - arrogant, naive, quick to anger, quick to _feel_ - traits that rendered him ill-equipped to handle the harshness of a world where one was alone and had no one to turn to. There were bitter lessons he had to learn, and learned them he did.

"And you seemed to have done that literally, too," the younger man stated, nodding at Sano's mode of dressing. Gone was the _gi_ and the _aku_ character on its back. In its place were clothes of one who had been away from his home for too long.

After a moment of silence, Sano said, "For a moment there, I thought that it was almost like the old days. _Jou-chan_ scolding you for something or other and Kenshin sitting there, smiling. I keep expecting that they'd come walking right in – everyone. _Jou-chan_, Kenshin, you, Misao and even Shinomori." For they had shared adventures together once.

"Megumi," Yahiko added.

In the darkness, Sano smiled faintly but did not speak. After a short pause, he asked, "Yeah. How is she, I wonder?" The question was casual enough and Yahiko answered in like tone:

"Oh, you know. She corresponds with Tsubame. Apparently, she's making quite a ruckus in Aizu. The men are falling all over themselves for her and the wives are all jealous of her. She says she's having the time of her life."

_Of course_. Sano gave an ironic smile. He could see her now: attractive, flirtatious, and worldly Megumi in a small village in Aizu populated by peasants, whose traditions were so deeply ingrained in their bones, they wouldn't know how to deal with someone who was the embodiment of everything they weren't. She was a peacock surrounded by a flock of fowls. But appearances can be deceptive, and words most of all. A long time ago, however briefly, Sano had seen Megumi for what she was and whatever he thought of her, of what she did, was forever altered.

"Right, and she's got some _gaijin_ following her around," Yahiko continued. "A _koibito_ though she doesn't admit it, which is strange, now that I think about it."

"Good," Sano whispered. Did he really expect her to perpetually carry a torch for Kenshin? Of course, she'd find someone, she'd move on. "Good," he repeated more loudly. "I was worried for no reason. I came back here – "

"Why _did_ you come back, Sano?" Yahiko interrupted. "Don't get me wrong. We're very glad to see you, to know for a fact that you're still alive, for one. But…why now?"

"I'd have come sooner if I'd known about the situation. You think I wouldn't?" Sano replied. "Yahiko, I was overseas. InAmericafor a while and thenEurope. Okina sent the letter to my apartment inHong Kong."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

"What are you talking about?" Sano repeated blankly.

"I'm saying, seven years and not a single word. We didn't even know if you were alive or dead or held captive somewhere. We had no idea."

Surprised, Sano stared at the younger man, realizing for the first time that the annoying brat he used to make fun of all the time was now a grown man – his friend. "Sorry," he blurted out before he even knew what he was going to say. "I didn't think."

"Idiot," Yahiko accused. There was a long silence as both men met each other's gaze, then all of a sudden they both burst out laughing.

"Brat," Sano said good-naturedly. Then, in a more serious tone, he said, "Listen up, Yahiko, 'cause I won't say this often." Yahiko looked at him. "I know I should've been here. But I'm sure glad it was you who was here when the worst happened."

"Actually, it was Megumi," Yahiko corrected him casually. At Sano's surprised glance, he nodded. "I haven't had scarlet fever so I – that is, Kenji-kun and I were sent to the mountains to stay with Hiko-san. In fact, now that I think about it, that was how Kenji-kun came to be Hiko-san's '_baka-deshi.'_"

"Megumi took care of both Kaoru and Kenshin all by herself?" Sano asked.

"Listen to you," Yahiko said with a slight laugh. "I said all that and all you heard is Megumi, Megumi. Careful, _toriatama_, you're going to embarrass yourself."

"Huh?"

The younger man smiled knowingly. "If you run, Aizu is only one day away."

That was exactly what Sanosuke had said that night when the cops came and he'd been forced to leaveTokyo. Back then, he didn't think he would ever leaveJapanor that it would be seven years before he would see any of his friends again. And in true silly boy fashion, he'd made a foolish promise to the girl who made his heart skip a beat whenever he thought of her – a promise which took him, it turned out, seven years to keep.

A reluctant grin tugged at Sanosuke's mouth but the smile didn't exactly reach his eyes. "Smart-ass." He straightened from his leaning position and shoved his balled hands in his pockets. "_Ja_...it's late, Yahiko. I'd best be going."

Yahiko waited until the older man reached the gate before calling out, "Sano."

The tall man paused but did not turn.

"Are you _at least_ going to try to see her?" he asked without a trace of mockery this time. He saw Sano's broad shoulders stiffen, then droop, as though he was releasing a long, heavy sigh. Then, he walked away, his tall figure silhouetted in the pale moonlit night.

* * *

_Aizu_

The week following David's abrupt proposal and announcement of his departure, Megumi came to a decision. The telegram she received fromTokyowas not forgotten and after reading its contents, it turned out that it came from the same man who sent her the letter concerning the Oguni Clinic. This time the man told her in plain words the need for urgency in Megumi's response because the person who was named as her substitute in the bequest was inquiring upon the matter.

With the situation stated in such a manner, it was never more clearly presented to her that the decision was already made and she need only to conform to the set structure. Anyway the move was not yet permanent. She would only be inTokyofor a few weeks in order to see to it that the clinic was in good order and make the necessary preparations.

But even so, there were a few people she needed to inform, foremost among them being the man who was responsible for giving her work in that hospital instead of trying to eke out a living in a practice where her gender was a cause for prejudice. But would she be able to face Sanada Hanzo with news that she was leaving, not to mention the false but nevertheless shameful rumors about their relationship?

This was the reason why Megumi resorted to sighing more than once that day as she and Keiko tidied things up before closing the office. She was aware that her young assistant had been sending inquiring glances her way but she pretended not to notice until, finished with her task, Keiko said to her in a quiet murmur that she was heading home. It was then that Megumi told her of her plan and although surprised Keiko expressed her delight that the solitary doctor considered her in her confidence.

"…and you need not worry. I will speak to Sanada-_san_ that you continue to work for the hospital, if that is what you wish," Megumi assured.

Keiko gave a bright smile. "_Arigatuo gozaimasu_, Takani-_sensei_."

"_Dou itashimashite_," Megumi replied, returning her smile.

The next day, Megumi paid a visit to the Sanada family, asking to speak with Sanada Hanzo and his wife. Feeling apprehensive (Did they hear about the rumor? If so, what would Sanada Hanzo's wife think of her now?), Megumi sat inside that familiar room that offered a view of the courtyard beyond the _rouka, _wondering what kind of reception the couple would give her.

However, her apprehension turned out to be baseless for as the wife handed her a cup of tea, their eyes met and what Megumi saw in the older woman's eyes was not judgment but understanding. The pure taste of tea on her tongue, the warmth from the cup, and the understanding from these two people touched Megumi beyond words.

"But are you certain you must leave at this time, Megumi-_kun_?" Sanada Hanzo was asking several moments later. "It's much safer to travel in spring."

Placing her cup down carefully on the low table, Megumi explained to him the reason for the urgency.

"But will you have a place to stay in Tokyo, Megumi-_san_?" Sanada Hanzo's wife asked.

"_Hai_," Megumi nodded, telling them about her friends in the capital.

"Nevertheless, in case you are unable to find a place to stay, I have an aunt in Kanto who will be glad to accept you into her home."

"_Domou_, Kiriko-_san_," Megumi murmured.

"Is there nothing we can do to make you stay a while longer?"

"_Sumimasen_, Sanada-_san_. I have caused you and your family so much trouble already."

"Nonsense. Is that your real reason for leaving? Because you thought you have caused us trouble? If what you mean is all this talk going around, you should know how it is in this town. You're a daughter of Aizu, are you not?"

So they heard. "_Hontou ni gomen nasai_." She had no excuse.

"Write to us when you arrive," Sanada Kiriko said. "I'll light a candle for your safe travel."

And with that, Megumi knew she was forgiven. After leaving the Sanada household, she took a wagon to the train station to purchase a ticket toTokyo. Her train was to leave at noon the following day and was to arrive at roughly the same time the next day after. As she was making her way through the crowd of people to the exit, her attention was diverted to the sound of a familiar voice.

"Megumi, it's you!" David McKay exclaimed, smiling at her warmly, his blue eyes crinkling. "There's a sight for sore eyes."

"_Konnichiwa_, Maki-_san,_" she said, returning his smile, pleased despite herself to find him there. He really was handsome, this _gaijin_. A full head taller than most men in the station, he was pleasant to look at with his blue eyes and colorless hair.

"You do realize that my hair is not colorless, right?" He said as he led her through the crowd gathered at the station. She looked at him apologetically. "It's flaxen or blond, but not colorless please."

She laughed at the exaggerated hurt expression he wore. "I'm sorry, Maki-_san_," she told him with a smile, "I will try to remember that."

"There, there," he said placatingly but his eyes twinkled. "Say," he piped up after a pause, "what are you doing here anyway? You're not here to see me off toTokyo, are you? Because my train's not leaving till tomorrow."

Megumi blinked in surprise. "Is that so?"

"Well, I was supposed to be leaving today but I was dilly-dallying."

"Dilly-dallying?" She repeated the unfamiliar phrase.

"I was trying to delay the inevitable in the hopes that…." He let the words drift off as he cleared his throat. Instead he said, "Well, there's no point in that now."

"Maki-_san_," Megumi spoke. He turned to her expectantly, and she smiled then and told him, "I will be on that train tomorrow."

As soon as David realized the import of her words, his reaction was indescribable and tangible at the same time. It would forever be etched in her memory how his blue eyes seemed to grow murky, then sparkle before finally spilling over into the widest, brightest smile she had ever seen grace his face. If happiness could be captured in a smile, this would be the picture that would come to mind.

His emotions must have overcome him for he grasped her hand right then, tightly as though he could put in all the passion and feelings he felt into that single squeeze. It hurt, granted, but his joy was so apparent, it was infectious. Megumi surreptitiously returned the squeeze just as they parted, thinking to herself that it was only a trick of the light that his eyes seemed to glitter a dark, earth-brown.**  
**

* * *

TBC


	5. Chapter 4: The Pieces Start to Fall

**Concessions**

_by lawless_

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

* * *

**Chapter 4: _The Pieces Start to Fall_**

He was having breakfast when the runner came. The thin man who was ushered in by one of his men looked flushed and slightly out of breath. He spared him only a second's glance, recognizing him right away as Kaga, the same man who delivered the message yesterday at the harbor. He returned his attention to his food, aware that Kaga was waiting for his acknowledgment. After taking a careful sip of his tea, he finally said, "What news?"

The thin man kept his head lowered. "The delivery was made, Yazaki-_sama_."

"Good." He placed his cup down and raised his arm. A woman who had been sitting at a discreet corner rose and began clearing away the dishes. When she was done and left the room, he went on, "Tell them they should have the formula at the agreed time."

"_Hai_," Kaga said, then made as though to add something but seemed to hesitate.

Catching this, the man called 'Yazaki' asked, "Is there something else I need to know, Kaga-_san_?"

"They wish to warn you, Yazaki-_sama_."

Yazaki paused. "Warn, Kaga-_san_?"

"They said to watch out for the Red Lanterns."

A thoughtful frown came over Yazaki's face. He recognized the name, of course. The Red Lanterns were one of the most powerful and most feared crime syndicates inHong Kong. Their contacts were extensive. Their business, just as wide, but like everything else about them, shrouded in mystery.

"What would the Red Lanterns be doing this far away from their home country?" His voice held a note of puzzlement.

"They have maintained contact with the Oniwabanshuu of Edo all these years. They have reason to believe they will contact them now to intercede with the plan," Kaga replied, watching with some alarm the transformation that came over the face of his master.

Yazaki was smiling, lips drawn tight but the black eyes behind his glasses burned with rage. _Oniwabanshuu_. The name was a curse. _His_ curse. He noticed that his hands were trembling so he clenched them into fists as he said, his voice coming out in a rasp, "Tell them that..._precautions_ shall be taken."

"_Hai_, Yazaki-_sama_." Kaga bowed before turning around to slide open the _shoji_.

"And, Kaga-_san_?" Yazaki called. The thin man turned. "Bring me the _gaijin_."

* * *

The midday sun was beating hard on the dusty streets when a traveling coach stopped near the Kamiya Dojo. The first person to alight was a tall, blond man with smiling blue eyes, wearing a pair of khaki pants with suspenders and a white shirt. He held out his hand to his companion who emerged a moment later.

Megumi shielded her eyes from the sun as David hurriedly opened the umbrella for her. Then he glanced at the unassuming wooden gate, passing only a cursory glance at the _kanji_ lettering posted on the side. He could hear the muffled voices of what seemed to be several children shouting all at once. _Kendo,_ he thought, remembering what Megumi told him about herTokyo friends.

The one-day travel by train from Aizu was most pleasant. The two of them spent the entire time talking, telling each other a little about themselves. David McKay, he told Megumi, grew up in a small tobacco plantation inVirginiathat his family owned. He had one older brother who left their home to try his luck first in theCaliforniagold mines, where he spent many years, and then overseas, where he spent even more years. It was in the latter adventure that David accompanied his brother, staying for two years in Hong Kong and then laterJapanwhere he was now and where he met Megumi.

For her part, Megumi gave David a simple account of how she grew up in Aizu and then later found herself in Tokyoafter the war of the Bakumatsu. She told him about the friends she made there – of Kaoru, Yahiko and Kenshin. David seemed to delight in the story of the _rurouni_, who turned out to be the long-lost and most-feared _Hitokiri Battousai_, but Megumi suspected that he listened to it merely as a fairytale and not as an actual story of an actual man who laughed and loved and **lived**. But she had no complaints. It was pleasant to talk to someone about the ones most important to her, but there were things that should not be shared.

Somehow, during the course of their travel, David thought that she had drawn him into her circle enough to allow him to touch her. His touches were always discrete and, in her mind, harmless. A brush against her hand there or sometimes, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Those kinds of touches. Once, when they were alone in the car, he even brought his mouth to hers. His lips were soft and moist and not at all unpleasant, but she'd seen how it seemed to impassion him so she resolved to limit this in particular. But she continued to allow him to hold her hand.

"So this is it," he said, casting her a sidelong glance as they stood there in front of the _dojo_.

Her profile was etched against the dark cloth of her umbrella and he marveled not for the first time at how seemingly unconscious she was of her beauty. One smile from that mouth and he wanted to possess her.

"Yes," Megumi replied, returning his smile, only to find herself suddenly engulfed by male arms as he took her mouth with his. The kiss was not invited so when he finally let her go, her smile had gone stiff.

"So lunch tomorrow?" David obliviously asked while he took down her travel case from the coach. "You'll like my brother. He's great."

"Better than you?" She quipped, deciding to let this one slide.

David pondered, completely missing the playful expression on her face. "In some ways," he replied truthfully.

"Then perhaps I have the wrong brother," she teased, laughing lightly at the look of dismay that came over his boyish features. "_Yare, yare_. I was joking, David-_san_," she said placatingly when his expression showed no signs of easing.

"I love you," he said instead.

The fierceness of his expression and the honesty in the blue depths of his eyes silenced Megumi. She did not need a translation to know what he just said, just judging from his face. She lowered her lashes and did not respond. Other women would be ecstatic just to hear those words of affection fall from their lover's lips. But she felt none of that save for a heavy tugging at her heart that would not be eased. There was little comfort to be had in words and silly touches.

After David left, Megumi turned once more towards the _dojo_. And she was still dwelling in this kind of thoughts when a voice slightly mocking arrested her.

"Still up to your old tricks, I see."

That voice.

She knew that voice, knew it from seven years ago. That warm, mildly insinuating voice. Megumi felt an odd sensation starting at the pit of her stomach as she slowly turned.

* * *

When he turned the corner, it had taken him a moment to recognize her. All he saw was a pretty woman laughing lightly with a _gaijin. _But since she wasn't a _maiko_ and certainly did not dress like one, he found himself unconsciously staring. It was Megumi, he realized all of a sudden. Her midnight hair was bound with a scarf, the way she did it whenever she was working, and a few wisps framed her face, softening her look considerably. She wasn't wearing the blue _haori_ but wore a new one of dark lavender. In all respects, he really wasn't supposed to recognize her, so different was she from his mind's vision of her, but there was something in the flirtatious banter and the teasing twist to her lips as she smiled up at her companion. It was unmistakably the _kitsune-onna_.

Sano was about to call her, all casual-like, swaggering up to her and acting like it hadn't been seven years, but then he saw the _gaijin_ lean down to close the distance between their faces and when she did not move to protest, he stopped, made a mental turn around.

Things slowly clicked into place.

The _gaijin_. The kiss. This was Megumi's _koibito_.

His grin widened, eyes glinting mockingly as he walked up to her, hands shoved in his pockets. "Still up to your old tricks, I see."

She turned, stunned. "Sano," she whispered, more to herself than to anyone listening, and then she recovered and asked, unable to hide the accusatory tone from her voice, "What are you doing here?"

Sano stopped in front of her, lazily eyeing her from behind thick lashes. "Last time I checked, _kitsune-onna_, I live here," he said casually and watched her hands unconsciously clench at the use of the reproachful nickname. _Kitsune-onna –_ vixen, trickster. Once, he called her 'opium woman' too.

"Last time _you_ checked it was seven years ago, _toriatama_," she said in a vicious tone. _Toriatama_ – rooster-head, bird-brain. If he attacked her morals, she insulted his intelligence – that was the sum of their interactions.

"Last time I checked," he said with nonchalance, "I didn't think you _cared_ enough to count the years."

Megumi raised a single brow, a smirk beginning to form on her lips. "Last time _I_ checked, you still owe me some money so it isn't sentiment, _toriatama no baka_, that makes me count the years."

"_Che_," Sano swore under his breath and she began to smile then – that old triumphant smile whenever her wit cut too close to home, but before it could achieve full transformation, something caught her lips midway and the smile fell. "Heartless as ever," he muttered.

And they stood there, staring at each other, suddenly at a loss for words. Was it possible to change so much after all those years? Was it possible not to? On the surface they were still the same people yet it could not be denied that things were different now. It was in the expression in her eyes (was it ever so softened by time?), the way her silken hair dropped into waves down her back, the curve of her lips. Just looking at her made something in him long forgotten start to stir.

"So anyway," Sano said finally, clearing his throat. "How've you been, _kitsune?_ I thought you'd be in Aizu." Banter over. Time to sheath their respective weapons and fall into something that actually resembled a conversation.

But some things could not be appeased by the simple expedient of changing the topic. "And shouldn't you be halfway around the world by now?" She wondered.

"Should I?" He challenged flippantly. "I'm here, aren't I?"

"You left, _toriatama_," she sharply reminded him. "You were gone for seven years with no word, not even a single letter."

"I sent that letter," he pointed out, his tone annoyed because it was only a few hours ago that he had to explain his seven-year silence to Yahiko and now it looked like he had to do the same thing again.

"But never afterwards."

"No," he admitted. Never afterwards. What was he supposed to say anyway? And who was he supposed to send it to? Kenshin was gone. _Jou-chan_, too. He could talk himself into any fight or argument but he never knew what to say in a letter to Megumi. If he knew her at all, she'd only mock his handwriting and his grammar and find some way to minimize his experiences. For that was what she would do, wasn't it? He looked at her, at the luminous eyes raised to his, and he realized with a pang that he was so completely and utterly wrong.

"For what it's worth," Megumi said, softening somewhat, as they turned for the _dojo_, "I'm glad you're safe."

Sano shifted uncomfortably. "Thanks." After some length, he added, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry I kept out of touch."

"What's that?"

"I said I'm sorry I kept out of touch."

"That's what I thought you said."

He frowned. "Yeah, what –"

And he saw it then, the beginnings of a smirk forming in the corners of her lips. He had to admit, with a mixture of admiration and exasperation that he walked right into that one.

"_Che, kitsune_," he swore softly as she laughed her high mocking laugh, and breezed past him. For a while, he could only stare at her back, a foolish grin on his face and then, with a shake of his head, he slowly started after her.

_Tadaima, toriatama_.**  
**

* * *

TBC


	6. Chapter 5: Moments

**Concessions**

_by lawless_

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

* * *

**Chapter 5: _Moments_**

"Thank you very much for letting me stay here on such short notice, Tsubame-_chan_," Megumi said to the smiling, brown-haired young woman carrying a tea tray into the room.

"It's no problem at all, Megumi-_sensei_," Tsubame replied as she knelt and placed the tray on the low table in front of the _onna-sensei_. She deftly poured her guest a cup, handing it to grateful hands before pouring one for herself. "Yahiko-_kun_ received your note early this morning. That gave us enough time to prepare your old room," she said pleasantly.

Megumi smiled in gratitude at the younger woman as she took a dainty sip of the jade green liquid in her cup. The slightly bitter tea was a welcome taste after the dust and grime of travel. Still smiling, she settled back as she let the old sounds and familiar smells of the _dojo_ engulf her, quietly enjoying the fond memories they evoke.

From somewhere around the house, the faint excited voices of Yutaro's pupils practicing their _kata_ lessons rose while sharp peals of laughter joined by the deep answering rumble of a certain rooster head could be heard from the back _engawa_.

Little Shinya had grown since Megumi's last visit but he was still a playful little five-year-old who, much like Ayame and Suzume were once, liked to use the men of the house as props in one of his games. This time, he steadfastly ignored his newly arrived Megumi-_baasan_ for Sanosuke, who found his favor, the man's size and strong build just perfect for what Shinya had in mind.

Megumi did not mind the rebuff, merely gave the boy a soft pat on the head, as he proceeded to command the tall man who came in with her to start crawling on hands and knees so that Shinya may happily bounce on his back and tug at his hair.

_Some things never change,_ Megumi thought to herself, seeing only Sano's helpless grin as he was dragged away by the stout hand of a five-year-old. And then she had to pause at the sudden twinge in her chest.

He had changed – Sagara Sanosuke. He had grown taller, still lean but larger somehow like he had shed his old skeleton and wore something new, fashioned by the sun, wind and sea. His hair was longer, longer than she had ever seen him keep it, but he still wore that red bandanna like a brand. His chin sported dark stubbles that told her that, at least once, he had worn a full beard but he must have shaved it and then neglected to keep at the task. And he moved differently – there was still that old swagger and confident grin – but he no longer wore the "_aku_" on his back (indeed, the jacket was gone) and somehow that was the most striking change of all.

_He must be around twenty-five now, or twenty-six, give or take a few, _Megumi thought. Had it really been that long? The years had done something to him – to all of them. She knew she'd changed as well. How much though? And could they ever make up the difference?

Sighing, Megumi placed her cup down. The past was for making amends. That was what Kenshin had taught her and she'd taken his lesson to heart. The future though – the future was…. She thought about David McKay and his proposal, about Oguni-sensei and his legacy, about doing what she loved the most, about her friends and Sagara Sanosuke suddenly, impossibly back in Tokyo and she thought why, the pieces to the puzzle of her happiness were practically falling into place, how then that she felt so miserable? She ran a hand restlessly through her hair and the movement caught Tsubame's attention.

The younger woman smiled at her serenely, utterly unaware of Megumi's thoughts and yet sensing that something was amiss. "Would you like another?" She asked, gesturing towards the _onna-sensei_'s empty cup. She would not press the matter, of course. That was not proper.

"No, thank -"

"_Okaa-san! Okaa-san!_" The sound of tiny running feet diverted both women's attention.

They looked towards the _shoji_ which slid open to admit the speeding form of little Shinya, followed closely by a grinning Sanosuke, his hands in his pockets and looking every bit the old Sano that Megumi had to catch her breath from the vivid memory.

"Look Sanke gave me!" The childish voice exclaimed.

"_Ano_...it's not polite to call anyone other than their names, Shinya-_chan_," Tsubame softly admonished. Her son merely ignored her as his chubby hands opened to reveal a small rounded object tied with a piece of string.

"A yo-yo! How wonderful!" Tsubame said, her own voice matching the excitement found in that of her son's.

"Not just any yo-yo," Sano informed from where he stood. "Go ahead, monkey" – (in the span of two days, he had given new names to Yahiko's offsprings: one was monkey and the other was monster) - "Show your _okaa-san_ what it does."

The boy obediently urged his mother to follow, tugging impatiently at her hands. Smiling apologetically at Megumi, she stood and left the room to follow the little spiky-haired figure of her son. Shinya's excited chattering – explaining to his mother in his five-year-old speech the mechanics of Sano's yo-yo – could be heard as they walked down the corridor.

"A souvenir from your travels, _toriatama_?" Megumi asked a moment later, arching a brow mockingly.

Sano answered with his usual grin. "One of many, _kitsune_."

After the confusion of their initial meeting, it was as though they had fallen into a silent truce: the past was the past and there was no point in dwelling in it. After this, it was easy enough to revert back to their old habit of exchanging insults and quips.

Sano plopped down beside her and began peeling off his long coat. Sweat glistened on the skin around his neck and the corners of his face as he rolled the sleeves of his shirt to reveal lean arms browned by years under the sun. He then loosened a few buttons, showing a v-shaped piece of skin just below his collarbone.

Megumi averted her eyes, surprised by her reaction and anxious that he noticed. But he didn't and he continued to sit there, looking at her with just the tiniest grin on his mouth. She frowned. "What?"

"Nothing," he answered but his grin did not let up.

"What?" She repeated more emphatically this time.

Dark eyes danced with mirth when he glanced at her. "So who was that, _kitsune_?"

"Who?"

"Who?" He echoed.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Sanosuke," she said haughtily.

"Oi, are we playing that game?"

"How's your hand?" Megumi asked, changing the subject abruptly.

Not surprisingly, Sano got a little confused. "Huh?"

Megumi was merciless. "What, you've gone more stupid over the years?"

He retorted with his usual swearing. "_Kuso._" Then, still grinning, he leaned back, resting his frame against the wall as he raised his arms, placing his hands behind his nape. He said casually, "My hands are fine, _onna_."

Lips curved in a half-smile, she very calmly poured herself another cup of tea. In the sparse second it took her to perform the ritual, Sano remembered something and he stood up suddenly, causing Megumi to glance at him.

"I brought you something, too," he said mysteriously.

Megumi merely lifted a single brow but did not say anything as she watched him disappear down the hallway, only to reappear minutes later, bearing a crude-looking…sack. "I hate to think what's in there, _toriatama_."

"Care to take a wild guess?" He quipped.

"I haven't the foggiest idea. A whole box of yo-yos?"

"You're hilarious, Megumi." He put the sack down in front of her.

She made no move to open it, merely arching her brows domineeringly. "Well, whatever it is, it can't be as interesting as the sack it came in," she said with sweet sarcasm.

He muttered, "Well then, I suppose I can't interest you with these - a few medical handbooks I managed to acquire..." He let his voice drift off, quirking one brow at her in a challenge. He watched the surprised pleasure spark in her eyes at his words, making them turn a golden-brown like burning leaves in autumn.

But then she quickly caught herself and said in a neutral tone, "Is that so?"

The excitement he had seen, despite the cold mask she wore now. It pleased him but he kept his face casually composed. "Well, yes," he said. "The latest edition too of a theory formulated by this German about using chemicals and machines to identify – "

"Johann L. Schoenlein, combining the French methods of physical diagnosis with chemical and microscopial examinations," Megumi impatiently interjected. Sano raised an eyebrow at her to which the _kitsune-onna_ returned with an embarrassed, slightly sheepish grin. "It's all the talk in doctor's circles."

"_Yosh_," Sano said, eyeing her for a second. "But this is all probably very uninteresting –"

"Oh for heaven's sake," Megumi interrupted again, unable to restrain herself any longer, "do I have to beg?"

Sano chuckled, turning his eyes back to her. "That could work."

He waited.

Megumi's eyes were staring dangerously at him. And just when he thought she would never do it, he heard a single word escape her mouth, too faint for him to completely decipher. "Say what?"

"I said 'please'," Megumi said, glowering. Then, realizing how silly she sounded, laughter burst out from her mouth, surprising even herself.

"_Horra, horra_, _kitsune_. You beg like a spitting viper," Sano declared. Nevertheless, he dug inside the sack and took out the aforementioned book. The cover and bits of the inside pages were water-stained but other than that, it still looked fresh from the printing press.

"Oh, Sano, this must've cost a fortune!" Megumi couldn't help exclaiming as she took it reverently. When she did, her eyes happened to rest distractedly on his outstretched hand and what she saw made her suck in her breath at the sight.

Scars. Even more scars than she remembered. She had never seen so many on such a small patch of skin. A virtual mesh of scar tissue. There was scarring even under the skin. She felt a painful hitch in her throat as she dropped the precious book and slowly took his hand in hers, running her fingers over the smooth bumps where some of the tissue formed colloids. They must have hurt, these wounds. A few bones must have been broken, too. She could feel a few misplaced carpals under the skin. She slid her palm over his knuckles. "Liar," she whispered.

He didn't bother to defend himself. After all, he'd done exactly what Megumi had advised him against. But what was he supposed to do except fight? It was the first thing he knew and for a long time the only thing he did know. By the time he realized that there were other ways of survival, it was too late. The damage had been done and now his hands were only good for a few more years. "Sorry," he said insufficiently.

With her hands still on his, she raised her head to meet his gaze and Sano felt his heart stutter to a stop, then begin again. For a long time, they stayed like that, unaware of anything else but that moment.

The sound of approaching footsteps told them that they were no longer alone. Seized with a sudden sense of urgency, they both drew back at the same time, Sano nervously running his hands through his hair, while Megumi quickly picked up the forgotten book on the _tatami_ floor.

"So Yahiko tells me you've been breaking every man's heart in Aizu and driving their wives crazy," Sano said, clearing his throat, watching her from the corners of his eyes.

Megumi managed a smirk but avoided his gaze. "Women should learn how to hold on to their men."

Sano opened his mouth, starting to say something when Shinomori Aoshi appeared in the doorway, his tall figure casting a shadow on both of them. "Sagara," he said in his detached tone of voice.

Sano glanced up at him. "What's amiss, Aoshi?"

"A word," Aoshi said, icy blue eyes shifting to the kneeling form of Megumi before settling them back to her companion.

Megumi felt a flush creeping up her cheeks as she wondered whether he'd heard any of the conversation and if he did, what conclusions he was able to draw from it. She did not know that the silent _onmitsu_ was in Tokyo as well. She had always felt apprehensive towards the man, not only because he exuded a kind of subtle danger but also because he was Shinomori Aoshi, the former _okashira_ and her former guard while she was held captive by Takeda Kanryuu years ago. Granted that Aoshi had never harmed her, but he had given her the instrument with which she would have killed herself had it not been for Kenshin, Sanosuke and Yahiko. They were different, as night was from day, but their destinies were intertwined. Even if each ignored the other's presence now, it could not be denied that once, a long time ago, their lives had touched.

Aoshi withdrew from the room, indicating that Sanosuke should do the same. He sighed and looked over at Megumi as though in apology. "If you care to look, there're plenty more books in that sack. Pick the ones you like."

"Thank you," she said sincerely.

He gave her a jaunty grin. "What's that? I didn't hear you."

Praying that the tinge of pink on her cheeks could be attributed to the midday heat, Megumi raised her brows and gave him a saucy smirk. "Be off with you, _toriatama no baka_."

"_Che_," Sano only grumbled.**  
**

* * *

TBC

* * *

**AN** Whew! You know the old version of this fic would have some quotes added in here for flavor.


	7. Chapter 6 Luncheon and a Mysterious Note

**Concessions**

_by lawless_

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

* * *

**Chapter 6: _Luncheon and a Mysterious Note_**

Tokyo in autumn was a sight to behold. The trees were putting up a spectacular show of blazing gold and burning red in preparation for the fall. Red-gold trees lined the streets, greeting passers-by as they went about their daily lives. And the scent of burning leaves filled the air while coldWesterlywinds blew in from the Pacific, bringing with it new people, new knowledge, and new challenges.

She was oblivious to it all as she stood on the wooden plank that served as bridge between the gently bobbing ship and the stationary harbor where it was moored. It was as though she was unaware of the throng of people pushing past her and casting curious glances at her still figure. The onyx of her eyes narrowed as she scanned her surroundings, stopping at a figure of a man standing beside a _tempura_ stall.

Drawing her fur-lined cloak closer to her body, she stepped down from the platform and approached an unmarked carriage. But before she climbed in she glanced briefly at the man by the _tempura_ stall and nodded imperceptibly. The man merely tilted his head downwards in the slightest of nods before moving away to disappear in the crowd.

Inside the carriage, the woman spoke, "The Akabeko-ya."

* * *

Hands in his coat pockets, Sano made his way through the traffic of people towards the Akabeko. He absently fingered the piece of rolled paper inside his right pocket, his thoughts wandering.

It was only about five minutes ago that he was walking down the crowded street when he heard a zing – the distinctive sound that a _kunai_ made when it darted through the air. His senses were instantly alert and he prepared to avoid the sudden attack only to find out that he had not been the target as the deadly weapon hit a nearby wooden crate with a thump. He turned watchful eyes towards where he perceived the weapon came from but he saw no one suspicious so he returned his attention to the item in question.

He inspected the _kunai_. When he stooped his tall frame to pick it up, he noticed that wedged tightly between the metal weapon and the wood of the crate was a tiny piece of paper, folded in the shape of a paper crane. The object brought back images from not too long ago when he was yet young and naive and a stranger in an even stranger country. He quickly pulled the _kunai_ and opened the folded note.

_"At the Pass, the snow is white and bold. But the eyes of evil are many-fold."_

It was a warning.

It was also telling him to meet with whoever it was that wrote the note.

The paper crane...

The Red Lanterns?

He remembered his earlier conversation with Shinomori. The former Oniwabanshuu Okashira had asked him what he knew about the Red Lanterns. Sano told him the generic answer, that they were a syndicate with shady underground connections, that he had heard about them during his stay inHong Kong.

Shinomori did not buy his account but he did not push him either. Instead, the quiet man had told him to watch his back. Sano had laughingly dismissed his words, saying that he had no business with the Red Lanterns so they would not have any reason to come after him. He was not telling the whole truth, of course, but he was not really worried.

That was, until the note came.

The tinkle of chimes sounded as Sano opened the door and entered. He waited for his eyes to adjust in the shade before he trailed his gaze through the many occupants, more out of sheer force of habit than any attempt at finding a familiar face. He was bound to meet a familiar face anyway. Like the restaurant owner, for instance.

He saw Sekihara Tae emerge from a door. As soon as she spied his figure, she gave him a ready smile which he returned. She had good reason to be smiling at him today. And even better reason to be especially friendly with him. Sano had finally paid off all his debts after all these years. Plus interest.

Sano watched her approach, feeling slightly bemused by the frilly restaurant uniform that she wore. It seemed that the ever-practical Tae observed Western modes of dress in order to attract more _gaijin_ to her business.

"_Konnichiwa_, Sanosuke-_san_," Tae greeted him.

Sano returned the greeting and also bowed low. Then he grinned at her, saying, "I never thought the Akabeko-ya went for French uniforms but" - a wicked light in his eyes - "I must agree that outfit looks great on you."

The flirty comment got the expected reaction. A blush and a dismissive nod. Tae murmured some words which he could not understand as she led him to a table. After asking for his order, she left him to be alone with his musings.

_Some things never change_, Sano thought as he sat on the _tatami_ mat, a low table in front of him and the noise from neighboring tables bombarding him from all sides. The rich aroma of something cooking wafted from the kitchen through the half-open _shoji_, enticing his appetite and making his stomach grumble in anticipation. Food. Smiling to himself, he settled into his pillowed seat and waited.

* * *

David picked Megumi up from the Oguni Clinic. He had intended to come for her at the _dojo_ but the _onna-sensei_ told him that she had a few things to take care of at the clinic and that he should meet her there. What she did not say to him was that she had not wanted him to meet Sanosuke by accident.

The coach ride to the Akabeko was short and quiet. Megumi was too restless about meeting David's brother to say anything. And David was occupied with his own thoughts, his blue eyes looking out placidly at the passing scenery.

It was to be a semi-formal luncheon where David would officially introduce Megumi to his brother as the woman he was thinking of asking to marry. He had not told her this, yet, but that was the plan and she was intelligent enough to, at least, suspect. That would explain why she kept fidgeting in her seat.

Suddenly, Megumi felt her hands being squeezed and she looked up at deep blue eyes smiling at her in reassurance.

"Nervous?" He asked, his tone tender. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Pete's a good man. We have not been on good terms since my..._lapse_ but," he patted her hand gently, "he's family and he's going to like you."

Megumi returned his gentle smile without saying a word. _Lapse_. He was talking about his previous addiction to opium. Strange that she had spent nearly half her life trying to eschew everything that had anything to do with that drug only to find herself a man who was once enslaved by it. A slave of opium. Like _she_ had been...

Ghosts. Memories. Those were all she was fighting throughout years. Her past was too much a part of her. And David, it turned out that he was part of that past, too. But he was concrete though. He was flesh and blood. So why was she afraid then? She shook herself mentally. _There's nothing to be afraid of,_ she assured herself. A short while later, she found out she was right. Luncheon turned out to be an occasion of gaiety. David's brother, Pete McKay, was an older version of him with the same laughing blue eyes and colorless hair.

The moment they were introduced, Pete had declared himself in love with her almost at the same breath as he pronounced David a lucky man. And Megumi was bewildered at first by this open display of affection, until she realized that it was the _gaijin_ way: to show those around them their true face and not be afraid. She found she admired this aspect of David's people.

Afterwards, Pete openly flirted with Megumi, flashing her one of his devilish smiles even as his younger brother scowled in mock anger, while Megumi found herself blushing, despite herself. Then, all three of them sat back while Tae with her helpers served the food.

All through lunch, Pete regaled Megumi with tales of his adventures. He was captain of the ship, _Southern Breeze_, he told her and added that he also owned half of it, the other part owned by his partner and friend. Told in his jovial voice, all the dangers that he and his partner had encountered during their travels – nearly starving to death in Mongolia, getting attacked by Indian natives, being caught in a squall off the Atlantic – all these sounded nothing short of entertaining punctuated with just the right amount of humor. Megumi found herself laughing the whole time and actually felt sorry when it was over.

"Don't you worry now," Pete said, patting the delicate hand that was held in his. "I'm sure David will bring you to many adventures as well, if you let him, that's for sure."

"Pete," David said in a warning tone.

Ignoring his brother, Pete gazed into Megumi's face and said, "My little brother is kind of shy, Megumi-_san_. He's always been shy around beautiful women so even if he doesn't say much, that doesn't mean he isn't thinking it. Right, little brother?"

"Not listening," David said, prying Pete's hands off Megumi's hand. Pete pretended to look crushed as David pulled Megumi to the side so that she was as far away from Pete as he could put her.

Megumi was still laughing as they were stepping out of the room when her eyes caught sight of a familiar head of mussed brown hair, sitting with his back turned towards them. Her steps faltered.

_Sanosuke._

"Well, I'll be knee-deep in horse manure! Yang Liu!" Pete suddenly called, apparently recognizing someone in the room as well.

Sano heard his name being called and recognized the voice immediately. _McKay._ Then, he realized that he was supposed to be meeting with the _gaijin_ for luncheon today. Something about his younger brother, the one they found in Hong Kong and helped bring toJapan. He heard that the boy had recovered now and that was probably the good news that McKay wanted to share. He had completely forgotten about it.

He turned, anticipating an annoyed McKay which should be amusing to watch. But his grin froze when he saw who was with him.

_Megumi._

* * *

TBC

* * *

**AN** Introducing my OC for this fic. Her model is O-ren Ishii from Kill Bill Vol. I.


	8. Chapter 7: Confrontations

**Concessions**

_by lawless_

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

* * *

**Chapter 7: _Confrontations_**

_Well, this is awkward,_ Sano thought as McKay, oblivious to his friend's discomfort, made the introductions. Megumi was looking at anywhere but him while David, as oblivious as his brother was smiling and holding out his hand for Sano to shake.

Sano recognized him almost immediately as the man from yesterday with Megumi in his arms outside the dojo. He wondered why he did not recognize him immediately. It was David McKay, Pete's little brother. He met him long ago inHong Kong. How could he have forgotten?

Looking at him now, Sano felt…he did not know what he felt. It was just that suddenly he had an insane urge to place a fist in his face. Insane because the man was pleasant enough, his manner unoffending. And insane because he should not be feeling this way anyway.

"We've heard much about you, Mr. Yang." David's voice cut through Sano's reveries and he snapped back to attention.

Of course, David would not remember McKay's partner. The man had been semi-conscious the entire time and Sano never boarded that ship forJapan, merely made sure that McKay's brother would make it to his country safely.

"Mac has the tendency to exaggerate. I'm sure you know that," Sano said, forcing himself to relax enough to issue a mischievous grin at the older McKay. The captain of the _Southern Breeze_ only chuckled, not bothering to deny it.

From the corners of his eyes, Sano watched the woman standing by David's right. She was fidgeting. She never fidgeted. He thought it was rather amusing, if not for the simple annoying fact that she was still trying her damnest not to meet his eyes.

She was not dressed in her usual _kimono_ and blue _haori_ today. It seemed that was all he ever saw her dressed in before. Instead, she was dressed more carefully in a cream-colored _Edo__ komon_, adorned with tiny dots forming dense, large circular patterns. Her midnight black hair was arranged in the traditional coiffure held in place by a delicate seashell _kanzashi_ and topped with a single, grayish mother of pearl.

She looked...lovely. Breathtakingly so. And Sano found it extremely difficult not to stare.

He always thought the _kitsune-onna_ was an unusually attractive woman. In fact, that was what first drew him to her when she stumbled inside that gambling hall, face in a panic and eyes wide and glittering. Her wild stare first landed on him and Sano could not move, couldn't even breathe, but the second it would have taken him to venture a word, she was already running towards Kenshin, throwing herself at his feet and begging him to save her.

After that was chaos, and that was his first impression of her.

Now…. Well, now was different. It seemed she was a different person now, still familiar but different somehow, as though she had donned on more than just a different set of clothes and put her hair up in a different way.

She was saying something to him and he couldn't really hear her. "What?" He asked.

"I said, I didn't know you were going to be here," she repeated.

He shrugged. "I didn't know **you'd** be here. So I guess we're even."

"Oh, you two know each other?" David said, finally picking up on their conversation.

"Boy-o, don't you remember Yang Liu? He was the one who arranged your passage fromHong Kong," Pete said, clapping his brother in the back. "He helped you in your time of need. The least you could do was remember his name. Sagara. Sagara Sanosuke," he added.

"Sagara…then who is Yang Liu?" David asked, his confusion apparent.

"It's a nickname," Sano explained, his eyes flickering to Megumi's for a brief instant.

"Yeah, Yang Liu stayed inHong Kongfor a long while. That's where he got his name. If I recall correctly, he had other names as well – one for every place he's gone to. Ain't that right, Yang Liu?"

Sano just grinned, eyes flickering once more to Megumi's.

"Then how should I address a man with several names?"

"Just call me 'Sano.' Everybody does."

"Sano," David repeated slowly, not missing the way Sano's eyes seemed to be drawn towards Megumi. He smiled tightly and said, "So Mr. Sano, how do you know Megumi?"

* * *

Sano stood with Megumi outside the restaurant inn, not speaking. When the door opened and out came the figure of Pete McKay, Sano straightened from his slouched position against the wall.

Pete was smiling apologetically, "Sorry about that, Yang Liu, Miss Takani." His speech had taken on a formal manner. "You must think we're all a bunch of uncivilized people but, you know, my little brother is…well, he's young and –" he lowered his voice, darting a quick glance at Megumi's still form – "he's taken quite a liking for your friend, Yang Liu. She was his doctor, do you know that? And I think that…well, I don't know. These things are delicate, you know, but I hope you don't mind and you would pardon David's behavior earlier."

"It's all right, Mac," Sano said, shaking his head. "It wasn't like…. Well, he's your brother, and I can assure you there's nothing between Megumi and I."

"Right, right," Pete said, darting another glance in Megumi's direction. He lowered his voice again, saying, "You know, Yang Liu, about that time when you got drunk on brandy and you told us about that girl back home…."

"I was drunk. I didn't know half of what I was saying," Sano quickly said.

Pete stared at him for a moment, studying him silently. But when Sano merely returned his stare, he sighed finally and said, "He means to marry her, Yang Liu. That's what he intends to do."

Sano could feel his own eyes widening. It felt like he was choking on something. He wanted to turn around and confirm that from Megumi's face, but what use would that be? Marriage. A reason for celebration in any culture. With conscious effort, Sano found himself smiling and saying, "Well, that's good news, isn't it, Mac? So what's with the long face?"

Pete blinked in surprise at the look of utter carelessness on his friend's face. For a minute there, he did not seem to believe it. But to Sano's relief, the _gaijin_ bought into his façade as he shook his head, saying, "Well, he hasn't asked her yet, that's for sure. I keep tellin' the boy-o but I guess he's biding his time."

"Smart man, your brother," Sano commented sagely.

"More like a typical farm boy really." Pete laughed.

"_Sumimasen_." The voice came from behind Sano. Both men turned to find Megumi stepping forward, smiling faintly.

"Miss Takani," Pete said, a little guiltily.

"I can't help but overhear," she started. "You two must be enjoying yourselves and judging from the way Maki-_san_ keeps looking my way…. Don't you find it rude when people talk about you as if you aren't there?"

There was a moment of silence…

...And then, Pete McKay, captain of the steamship _Southern Breeze_, started to cough, face turning a slight shade of red. Sano caught Megumi's eyes, not sure what he expected to find there and half-amazed at her boldness, but Pete was already saying his apologies.

"Miss Takani, you'll have to forgive us. It wasn't our intention to exclude you from the conversation, but…"

"As you realize, Mac and I are partners in business and _this_ happened to be business," Sano finished for him. From the corners of his eyes, he saw Pete's stunned expression but he was still looking at Megumi, as though challengingly.

Her mouth formed an 'O' of surprise. And then,

"Of course!" Megumi finally said, faking delight to color her voice. "You'll have to forgive me, Sagara-_san_, but I keep forgetting. Somehow I find it hard to reconcile this businessman Sagara Sanosuke with the Sagara Sanosuke who used to hang around the _dojo_, looking for free food."

Pete McKay, who was listening all this time, looked flabbergasted, staring at both of them.

Sano bristled in annoyance but he held himself in check and instead said quietly, "A man can change, Takani-_san_."

That…that expression that fleeted past her face just then was classic. Sano would treasure that look, it was almost the same look she wore when she first saw him after seven years – a mixture of disbelief and something unreadable.

Megumi had nothing to say.

A few minutes later, Sano walked alongside Megumi in the winding streets ofTokyo. They were alone.

After Pete had apologized for his brother's misunderstanding of the relationship between Sano and Megumi and the conversation that followed, the older McKay stated that he needed to go back to the harbor. He was sailing the _Southern Breeze_ toHong Kong that night at the request of Wu Tongshi – Mr. Wu, their client – and should be back in less than two weeks.

David, on the other hand, had a different agenda. He received a summons – "from one of my clients," he said – and he had to leave, as well. He and Sano spoke for a few minutes, during which time they seemed to have come to an understanding. And then, with a quiet murmur of apology to Megumi, he left on his carriage, leaving her alone with Sano.

Having nothing else to do and not really in the mood to be anywhere else at the moment, Sano decided to walk Megumi back to the _dojo_. He did not even have to ask or to offer. They just fell into each other's steps, the soft clip-clopping of Megumi's _geta_ mixing with the general noise of the street. Every so often, Megumi would pause to return a greeting from a former patient or an acquaintance and then, she would resume her steps, following him quietly.

Slipping his hands in his pockets, Sano let out a sigh which caused Megumi to look at him sharply. "Bored, _toriatama_?" She asked before returning her gaze back to the street.

He seemed to have slowed down because now he was walking so close beside her she could feel the brush of his coat as it swirled in mid-air. Taking a step to the side to distance herself, she eyed him once more.

"I'm sure you're missed at the gambling house. Don't let me hold you back." She meant the words to be teasing, but as always, they came out scathing.

Sano's upper lip lifted in a sneer but he did not say anything. Another moment passed and Megumi's clip-clopping provided the only sound between them.

He was still walking beside her. It was not the usual custom. Did he spend so much time in the West that he had forgotten what was proper in his own country? She cast a wary glance at his silent profile. He appeared to be deep in thought and seemed unaware of what he was doing to her. After a while, she began to relax and asked herself why she was suddenly so concerned about propriety. In Aizu, that provincial town, she had to be careful, but this wasTokyo, the center ofJapanitself. Minds were a little open here.

But even as Megumi was thinking this, it was only when they walked past the more crowded streets and entered a quieter neighborhood that she was able to visibly relax. Allowing her mind free reign, she pondered briefly on what her silent companion was thinking about. The luncheon today was really not what she had expected and never in her wild imaginings did it occur to her that Sano might be there as well – the one called Yang Liu who helped bring David McKay to Japan, to Aizu, to her. The realization was almost heart-stopping.

Shaking her head mentally, Megumi did not notice a rather large stone in her path. She stepped on it and would have fallen if not for Sano's strong arm which shot out immediately, preventing her fall. Their eyes met but discomfort made them look away. Murmuring a quiet thank-you, Megumi carefully extricated her hands from his. They continued walking, and Megumi was as confused as ever.

Something was different. Things have altered somehow. Their world was changing…and them, along with it. But underneath it all was the same substance that had flown – ever-fixed, unchanging, like the Kamiya Dojo that stood where it always stood. One more turn and they should be able to glimpse the familiar welcoming sight.

Suddenly, Sano said, "So when were you planning to tell us about your…_gaijin_?" The tone was casual but Megumi's hypersensitive ear detected a note of accusation in his simple words. And he spoke '_gaijin_' like he hated what it stood for.

"When I see fit," she replied stonily. Her answer seemed to arouse Sano's temper and he cursed under his breath. Megumi stopped and whirled to face him. "Why are you angry all of a sudden?"

He did not respond, merely glared at her.

"What do you have against _gaijin_?" She pressed. "I thought you of all people would understand."

"I have nothing against _gaijin_, _kitsune_," he finally said. "I have friends who are _gaijin_ and some of them are even more reliable than anyone I've ever met."

"Then why?" She asked, at a loss for words. Sometimes he was so…. She did not hate him. She did not understand him. How could one hate what one did not understand? (How could one hate what one did?)

"Why am I angry?" He seemed to find the question extremely amusing and he laughed harshly. After a moment, his laughter subsided and the brown gaze that he gave her was so intense Megumi turned her face away to avoid it. She resumed walking. "Why do you think?" Sano asked, falling into step behind her.

And she thought about what happened yesterday. "This doesn't concern you," she said with more harshness than she intended.

"Oh, so you know me so well you know what does or doesn't concern me," he said, voice laced with sarcasm.

"_Kami-sama!_ What do you _want_ from me?" Megumi exclaimed in exasperation, stopping to face him.

"What makes you think I want anything, _kitsune_?" was his mocking reply.

She did not respond. There was nothing to say, but… "Then why did you come back?" She asked softly, without turning. If there was nothing here that he wanted or needed, then why…?

"I came back because –" And then he caught himself and was silent.

Megumi waited but when he did not say anything more, she silently willed her legs to move.

"I came back because I got your letter," he finally said, his voice quiet.

Megumi closed her eyes, breathing deeply. "About Kaoru's passing. That was a long time ago, _toriatama_."

He started walking again, taking after her. "Well, that time I was in America. It was only when I came back to Hong Kong that I learned…. First Kenshin and then _jou-chan_…"

"I know," Megumi said, closing her eyes. _I was here. I watched them go._ She hadn't thought she'd needed anyone then. Her hands were capable. But perhaps, there was a reason she'd written him that letter.

There was a long silence, and then: "Are you going to marry him, Megumi?" As soon as the question was out, Sano realized that he needed to know. But she did not answer right away, merely looked straight ahead. "I know his story." He was relentless. "I know about the…the opium addiction. I'm sure you do, too."

"I treated him," she told him.

He stared down at his feet on the ground. Deep in his pockets, his fists were clenched. "Do you think," he hesitated, unsure if he wanted to know, "you can be…happy with him?"

"_Baka_," she suddenly let out in a harsh whisper. "_Toriatama no baka_." And she turned to him then, revealing a face pale with some nameless emotion and eyes so bright they looked like burnished gold.

He stopped dead in his tracks, not sure what to do. Then his feet moved without volition until he closed the distance between them, close enough to touch, and he came to rest a palm on her cheek, stroking gently with his thumb. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but what? But what? His mind was devoid of words. Around them was so quiet. But it could have been bustling with crowd noises for all Sano cared as he brought his face down to hers.

When she felt his lips against hers for the first time, Megumi experienced a jolt, causing a whimper to escape. His calloused palms felt rough against her soft cheeks as he grasped her face while he continued to stroke her mouth with lips cool and hard. Against her better judgment, Megumi felt herself relax against him and instantly, Sano's arms tightened around her, wrapping her close to his chest. The brush of his lips slowed, their deliberate rhythm making her dizzy and it was only by sheer force of will that she was even able to keep her herself from gasping. This was not the same thing with David McKay. No, this was completely different….

All of a sudden, sanity returned and Megumi found strength to push him back. The kiss was broken and for a long time both parties stared at each other, breathing hard, mouths swollen and bruised. Then, with obvious male arrogance, Sano flashed her a leering smile. It was a mistake for the next moment he felt his right cheek sting where the palm of her hand landed.

Giving him one last hateful glance, she whirled about and all but ran towards the dojo which was now - thankfully - close in sight. Had she gazed back at him at that moment, she would have caught sight of the look on his face as soon as she turned her back. As it was, she was left with nothing but the stinging of her palm and the warm taste of his mouth on hers.**  
**

* * *

TBC

* * *

**AN** Angst is good in small doses.


	9. Chapter 8: The Days are Gray

**Concessions**

_by lawless_

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

* * *

**Chapter 8: _The Days are Gray_**

_Kyoto_

_Two weeks and five days earlier_

All was quiet at the Aoi-ya. It was night and the people ofKyotohave long succumbed to the enticements of sleep. A few minutes after one, a diminutive figure cloaked in black arrived by coach. The figure stood for a full minute, staring silently at the side door of the restaurant inn before a limb shot up and a rap against hard wood could be heard.

A bleary-eyed man, perhaps one of the servants at the restaurant, opened it and exchanged a few words with the figure. At first, the man was adamant, but when the figure produced something from the shadows, he stepped back.

Moments later, a lamp was lit somewhere inside the Aoi-ya, its yellow light looking faded through the thin paper covering the wooden panels.

* * *

She studied his features, onyx eyes watchful as she tried to gauge his answer even before he gave voice to them.

For a long moment, the old man did not say anything. His wizened old face was thoughtful as he carefully went over what she just told him, his hands absently fiddling with the paper crane he was holding. It was the same paper crane that she had shown the man who opened the door for her.

Replacing the cup of tea on the table, she spoke, "Hong-se Ling Tou sends his regards, Okina-_san_." Although her Japanese was fluent, she spoke with a faint accent that belonged to no province inJapan.

The room was quiet apart for the whistling, slightly muffled sound of bamboo swaying in the wind. The Oniwanbanshuu _onmitsu_, the one called Kashiwajaki Nenji – Okina – gave a slight toss of his gray head but kept his eyes closed. A frown created lines across his brow, adding to the collection of creases that was there as a testament of time passing him by.

She understood that the message she bore bothered him and she did not blame him for that.

The alliance was an old one, made during the days ofEdo, and it was informal at best. It was created out of both parties' mutual needs. The Red Lanterns wanted information which might prove valuable for their burgeoning business inJapanand the Oniwabanshuu had contacts inHong Kongthat needed protection. It was an unspoken understanding - a pooling of resources. But it was nothing binding.

And demands were seldom made.

"The walls have eyes and ears," Okina began, lifting eyes faded with age to the stoic young woman sitting in front of him. "Hong-se Ling Tou does not need to ask what Hong-se Ling Tou knows."

A refusal. Polite. But firm.

She kept her face carefully devoid of emotion. A fleeting half-smile and then, the cold reply, "Hong-se Ling Tou does not ask."

The Red Lanterns have other sources, of course. Okina was right in bringing that out. But without the _onmitsu_'s cooperation, her task would be a little more difficult to accomplish. She decided to try another tactic, knowing full well that the Oniwabanshuu have more than a dozen contacts whose lives hung by a thread, spared only by the mark of the Hong-se Denglong on them. A claim: they were Red Lantern property. Surely, they would not voluntarily forsake their own men to the wolves, not when underground politics was this cutthroat.

It was time to remind the Oniwabanshuu of that.

She leaned forward, onyx orbs flickering like black fire even as a chilly note colored her words. "The Shadow is only as far as the Rising Sun. Where there is only dark, Hong-se Ling Tou sees."

The warning was subtle but it was a warning nonetheless. The Oniwabanshuu might be powerful inJapanbut inHong Kong, it was the Red Lanterns who held all the strings.

The old man's frame stiffened slightly and anyone less discerning would have missed it completely. But the woman had sharp eyes and when she saw this, a pleased smirk crossed her porcelain features. She settled back on her cushioned seat, satisfied with her tiny victory.

"Hong-se Ling Tou wishes only little and the Oniwabanshuu stand to gain much out of this," she added in measured tones.

Okina lifted one gray brow and she had to chuckle softly at this.

"I have names that you might have some interest in." When he did not respond, she continued, "Does the name 'Yazaki Gi' mean anything to you?"

The old man's face was blank and she seemed to find this amusing too as she chuckled once more.

Changing the manner of her speech, she explained, "As his name implies, he is Japanese. Some months ago, he came to work for San Tou Long. The fact alone that he is working for our greatest rival is enough to gain our attention, but we knew almost nothing about him and it took us time. He was a businessman, we discovered, a disgraced one. Considering our business, that made sense. But imagine our surprise when we discovered that he was a prison escapee before he came to our shores."

Okina paused, the realization evident on his face. There was no need to state who it was. They both knew it. "You mentioned," he finally said. "There is more than one name."

She nodded, her short-cropped hair falling over her eyes as she said, "Sagara Sanosuke."

* * *

_Tokyo_

Sano sensed her presence even before he saw her shadow fall on his seated form. He was at the park, sitting on a stone bench, erected there simply for that purpose. The ground was covered with dry leaves and the way the light fell on them, they were almost silver.

_"At the Pass, the snow is white and bold..."_

The leaves of this particular tree indeed looked like snow against the backdrop of the rich brown and dark gold of the ground.

He felt her sit beside him, the fur of her cloak brushing his hand softly. Keeping his head bowed, he spoke, "Huang Liwei."

In answer, she gave a cursory nod.

"I received your note." A short pause before Sano sent her an amused look. "If you're trying to personally finish what you started back in Hong Kong, you're sorely mistaken." Somewhere within the vicinity, Misao and some _Oniwabanshuu onmitsu_ were waiting for the first sign of threat.

Yet Huang Liwei's mask was in place. "You spoke with the Okashira?" She asked instead.

Sano glanced at her sharply.

"But he is no longer _okashira_," she softly corrected herself, only then turning to face him fully.

Sano's eyes flickered. _So she knew._ Not many people were privileged to know about the transition in leadership within the ranks of the _Oniwabanshuu_. That Huang Liwei knew about it suggested that the Red Lanterns' network of spies extended beyond the shores ofHong Kong. Would he ever be able to detach himself from them? Once in, one could never get out. That was what people whispered.

"What are you doing here, Li?" The question was quiet.

"You know why I'm here, Yang Liu."

Sano looked at her then and his eyes darkened. "Hong-se Ling Tou sent you."

"Of course."

"To kill me?"

She looked at him and said simply, "_Bu shi_."

He smiled, pretending relief. "But if you haven't come to kill me, then –"

"San Tou Long," Huang Liwei provided.

"San Tou Long?" He repeated. San Tou Long – the Three-Headed Dragon – was the Red Lanterns' rival for power and influence in theHong Kongblack market. Sano knew more about them than he cared to and he, of all people, understood the danger. "I have no business with San Tou Long," Sano told her. "And I have cut off my ties with the Red Lanterns a long time ago. Why have you brought me here?"

Instead of answering, Huang Liwei stood up suddenly, saying, "Takani _Daifu_. Are her hands as pure as jade, Yang Liu?"

For the first time since he arrived, Sanosuke felt the cold sweat of fear. He looked at Huang Liwei, trying to see past that porcelain mask of hers. "You followed me," he said, choosing his words carefully.

"_Shi_," Liwei responded.

"Can I ask why? Or is that some kind of syndicate secret?" Why were the Red Lanterns interested in Megumi? What was Huang Liwei insinuating? That was the last thing he needed. SomeHong Kongsyndicate agent coming after those important to him.

She kept her face averted and when she spoke, her voice was soft, devoid of feeling. "Guard your treasures like a dragon." A draft of wind blew their way, letting them bask in the sweet burning scent of autumn. Again, she spoke, "Hong-se Ling Tou shall not suffer San Tou Long to gain the upper hand."

And suddenly her cryptic message made sense. Sano's mouth drew into a flat line as he pinned her with a hard glare. "You understand that I won't just stand by and watch. If you expect me to…"

The fleeting half-smile. "I do not expect."

"Shinomori –"

She cut him off. "The Oniwabanshuu will do their part. That is the agreement."

Sano blinked, shocked. So that explained it. The _onmitsu_ was in bed with the Red Lanterns. "What do you plan to do, Li?"

The half-smile widened, transforming her face, making it appear almost child-like in its purity. "You are not one of the Red Lanterns anymore, Yang Liu," she reminded. "You are not bound to me."

"Even so…I'll kill anyone who harms any of my friends. Anyone, Li," he warned.

"That is the only thing I expect." She gathered her fur-lined cloak more tightly to her diminutive body, drawing it close as though she was feeling the cold for the first time.

"Why are you telling me this?" Sano asked, dark eyes questioning.

She looked away, her voice coming out in a whisper. "Because, Yang Liu, there is something to be said of old friendships." And with that, she left, her dark cloak gracefully swirling behind her.

Sano watched after her rapidly retreating form, seeing her pale hand appear to wave at a passing coach. She climbed in and his last glimpse of her was her stoic pale face and the voluminous mass of her cloak.

After she was gone and the coach rolled away, Sano continued to stare at the space where he last saw her. For a moment, he could not form a single coherent thought. Questions assaulted him from all angles but answers eluded him.

Shinomori had warned him, told him to be careful. And now Huang Liwei.

What was Huang Liwei planning? What were the Red Lanterns planning? What was the Oniwabanshuu planning?**  
**

* * *

TBC

* * *

**AN** On the making of Huang Liwei's character. Huang is written with the character meaning "yellow," the same as Huang Yi, the Yellow Emperor, who supposedly invented Chinese herbal medicine. Li is written with the character referring to a "raccoon dog or fox-like animal." Wei is written with the character for "danger" or "to endanger." Her personality is inspired by the femme fatale of Gu Long's novel, _Sentimental Swordsman, Ruthless Sword _and Mei Chaofeng, one of the chief female villains in Jin Yong's_ Eagle-Shooting Heroes. _To those who actually read said novels, note that Huang Liwei actually has little similarities with said characters.

Yang Liu can be written in two ways and has two meanings. One meaning would mean "willow tree" or "poplar and willow." The other meaning is "ocean current."


	10. Chapter 9: The Color of Night

**Concessions**

_by lawless_

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

* * *

**Chapter 9: _The Color of Night_**

_The Wharves_

The autumn evening was fading into night, draping the inky sky like a blanket studded with stars. A full moon peeked from behind dark clouds while a gentle breeze began to blow, cooling the earth and making the leaves whisper as they swayed with the dancing wind.

David McKay stepped down from the coach and looked around him curiously. He was in a seedy part of the harbor, near the city's poorer districts where abandoned warehouses were plentiful. It was a place familiar to him and no wonder; he had been here before.

"Maki-_san_?" The driver asked, casting a nervous glance at his employer.

David looked at him distractedly. Then, noticing the older man's anxiety, he gave him a reassuring smile that belied the apprehension he also felt. "Wait here, Foku-_san_. This will only be short."

The note that he received at lunch earlier was brief but its meaning was explicit. _Meeting at the wharf. Important matters to discuss_. There was no sign anywhere in the note to indicate who sent it but the mention of the wharf was enough clue.

Yazaki Gi.

Yazaki Gi was one of the shady characters who helped run a fairly huge conglomerate with ties in the government and the black market. The fact that he was backed by a Hong Kongunderground network made him even more untouchable so that even the _yakuza_ were hesitant to interfere with his business.

He heard stories that Yazaki Gi was disgraced in Japanand that was why he had his base of operations in Hong Kong, working hand-in-hand with the syndicates. Several government officials also worked for him and in return, he supplied them with weapons and armaments required to strengthen their military. It was said that he owned a string of _geisha_ and gambling houses, which also doubled as backdoor meeting rooms frequented by several ofTokyo's powerful elite.

He also ran an underground opium laboratory and there were rumors that…Yazaki had a special formula. This was what the syndicates were after.

David had met him only a few times before, back in Hong Kong, back when he was…weak. Weaker still. He was _gaijin_ and his brother was the captain of the ship that helped bring some of Yazaki's cargoes toJapan. David's older brother was unaware, of course, of their chief client, Wu Tongshi's connection with Yazaki Gi, and even if he was, David doubted that Pete would know what it meant. But David used his brother's influence and Wu Tongshi's influence to cut himself a deal with Yazaki Gi and his cronies: cheap opium and a sub-deal with some of the locals.

With Yazaki Gi's blessing, the syndicates left David McKay alone and he was able to make himself a small pile of money. But he made a mistake…and he found himself trapped in the addictive properties of the brown substance. The next thing he knew, he was on board a ship bound forJapanto get "cleaned up."

He thought he escaped the past by staying on that ship. But now…. He wondered what Yazaki Gi wanted from him and he could not help but feel afraid. Whatever it was…. Did he have the strength to refuse?

Turning around, David made his way towards the ancient warehouse where he quickly descended through a squarish hole in the floor, leading to an underground basement. The cold, dank tunnel was steeped in moisture and the only light provided him was a single torch mounted on one side of the wall, casting eerie shadows as he moved down the narrow passage.

* * *

Sitting quietly at the _engawa_, Megumi listened vainly to the sounds of the night come alive. It was a quiet night. Peaceful. Bearing no semblance at all to the ruckus of the day.

For most of that day, Megumi had jumped every time footsteps approached, afraid that it was going to be Sano. Just the recollection of what happened between them had made her face burn with embarrassment, and she'd wanted to forget it and him.

The faint, rhythmic sound of the _shishi-doshi_ drifted to her ears. A gentle breeze was blowing and the leaves of the bamboo shivered while the poles moaned. In her arms, she felt little Kaoru fidget, distracting her from her troubling thoughts. She touched her chin to the top of her head in reassurance, breathing in her scent, the clean baby smell of her making her smile gently.

"Men are strange creatures, _ne_, Kaoru-_chan_?" She cooed softly into her ear.

By the end of the day she had not want to forget it at all. Once the guilt and fear of discovery had receded, she'd found herself thinking about him constantly, reliving the same moments she'd wanted to forget. Working at the clinic, pretending to pour over the paperwork on the table, she'd felt his lips on hers, recalling their texture with a tiny thrill. She'd thought about other things too, like why she hadn't noticed till now that, for all the insults and banters traded between them, she liked his company. She'd wondered if he was thinking about her and if he was,_ why_ hadn't he come…

After a few hours, Megumi was certain she'd been making a fool of herself. Sanosuke had been all over the world. Who knew how many women he'd kissed in all those places he'd been to? And she was obviously not that unforgettable. Her unanswered letter was proof enough. Besides, there was always the past to hold him back – her one-time involvement with opium and her making a great spectacle of herself falling all over Kenshin. She only wished that she wasn't so affected, then it wouldn't be so hard or awkward facing him again. And then she had David besides….

"Ah, _mou_!"

The exclamation drew the child's attention, causing her to toss her head fiercely, sending her wild mop of hair flying. Two tiny hands then reached up to pinch Megumi's cheeks, painfully at that, causing her eyes to tear up a bit. "_Itai, itai_," she muttered. As though understanding her pain, Kaoru stopped. Megumi chuckled even as she felt her eyes burn as the image she presented reminded her so much. "_Ne_, Kaoru-_chan_," she said, "do you hate me, too?"

It was a whisper.

* * *

"Is she all right?" Yahiko glanced at his wife questioningly as he held out a bowl to her which she deftly took and arranged on top the low table.

When he came home that evening, he found out that the Shinomori had left, rather unexpectedly. All that Misao told Tsubame was that Okina wanted them back at the Aoi-ya. She did not seem pleased when she relayed the information and so Tsubame supposed that the couple had a little misunderstanding that needed to be resolved. She did not try to stop them and their abrupt departure contributed to the sudden quiet that came over the _dojo_.

Yahiko sensed that something was wrong though and it went deeper than the Shinomoris' abrupt leaving. Megumi's behavior was unlike her. If he remembered correctly, she was not the type to wallow in depression and spend the day moping around the house. That was the _buso_'s job. So something must have happened to cause this sudden change.

"What happened here anyway?"

Tsubame merely shook her head at him, indicating that it was not their place to ask.

The look in her soft brown eyes, even though she did not say anything, made Yahiko feel properly chastised. Tsubame had that effect on him. But then he glanced once more at the seated form of Megumi at the _engawa_, holding a strangely placid Kaoru in her lap.

The girl was behaving herself tonight, perhaps sensing that the hand that cradled her was troubled. He watched as Megumi lowered her head to rest it against the mop of brown hair and closed her eyes. Kaoru did not move to protest and for a long moment, the two of them sat silently together, undisturbed.

Looking at them, the young man felt something heavy drag at him, remembering a poignant scene of another black-haired woman holding a red-haired child in her arms as she stared in the distance. He wondered: was she waiting for someone, too?

But before he could surmise further on that intriguing concept, he felt warm hands encircle his own. He looked up to find the gentle face of his wife, smiling softly.

"It will be all right, Yahiko-_chan_," she told him, using that old nickname which he used to detest but which had now become a term of endearment between them.

Yahiko sighed, feeling some of the weight lift. Tsubame always knew just what to say to placate him. One word from her, one whisper, one touch of her hand. That was all it took. Still, he felt concern wash over him when he looked at Megumi.

"It's just that I've never seen her so... " Here, he paused, as though unsure "...forlorn," he finished. Then, after a second, his mind clicked and he glanced at Tsubame.

She blinked at him, asking, "_Nani_?"

"Where's the _toriatama_?" He asked, impatiently dropping Tsubame's hands. _I'm going to kill that rooster head_, he resolved as he began stalking around the room, restless, until his wife called him by his name.

"Yahiko."

He turned, automatically. "Tsubame."

"Don't meddle in their affairs," she told him.

"You don't understand –"

"Something happened this afternoon," she said softly, "but you can't force these things. You'll only get in the way."

"But, Tsubame –"

"Look at her, Yahiko," she interrupted and Yahiko was forced to follow her gaze. "Megumi-_sensei_ is troubled," she said. "That's what happens when someone you care about comes walking back into your life. Did you not notice the same thing with Kaoru-_san_?"

"Yes, but Kaoru was…"

"They're not the same people. That's true, but right now, they feel the same way as I also did. As I still do, sometimes."

"Tsubame…"

His wife looked away. "It will be all right," she said, more firmly this time. "They will be all right."**  
**

* * *

TBC

* * *

**AN** I still have doubts about David McKay being a Mary Sue.


	11. Chapter 10: Regrets

**Concessions**

_by lawless_

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

* * *

**Chapter 10: _Regrets_**

_I shouldn't have come._

They were at the basement, talking in low tones across the table. Every once in a while one of the two men sitting in the shadows would lean forward to come under the light emanating from the yellow lamp. His face was drawn and his eyes looked almost myopic behind his glasses, black and as dark as the night.

"We're waiting, Mr. McKay," Yazaki Gi intoned.

The quiet man sitting beside him was short in stature with wide, unblinking eyes. Yazaki did not bother to introduce him but sitting where he was, David caught snippets of their discussions and found out that he was addressed as Lao Mu, which further meant that this Lao Mu must be somebody important. Only elders and superiors were addressed as 'Lao' and in the syndicates, only the founding leaders were given that title.

Swallowing audibly, he said, "And what if...what if I don't agree?"

Yazaki gave him a twisted smile, saying, "That is, of course, your choice." He leaned closer then so David could see the look of intent in his beady eyes. His smile widened. "However, I don't need to tell you that there are…_other_ ways of extracting information."

David recognized his meaning and he felt an instantaneous feeling of anger surge in him. "Are you threatening me?" He asked in a raised voice, brows drawn together.

The Japanese chuckled, leaning back in his seat casually. "Quite the contrary, Mr. McKay. I am merely trying to convince you to do the right thing."

David stared at him for several moments, his frustration obvious in the tightening of his jaws. _I shouldn't have come_, he regretted for the second time that night.

Standing stiffly, he said in a harsh whisper, "This is ridiculous! I'm done with this." He was glaring at Yazaki. "My obligations to you stopped when I shipped those goods for you!"

At this sudden outburst, silence pervaded the room. David did not wait for him to respond as he angrily stalked off. It was not until he reached the doorway when the reedy voice of Lao Mu arrested him.

"Perhaps, we haven't made ourselves clear, Mr. McKay," Lao Mu said in broken English.

David paused but did not turn.

"Your brother works for a friend of mine, Wu Tongshi. Are you familiar with that name?"

David felt the blood drain from his face. Slowly, he turned to meet the unblinking black eyes of the sinister man in the shadows.

No obvious change occurred in Lao Mu's voice but anyone who heard the next words he spoke sensed that something was afoot. "Would you say your brother's business is doing good?"

The subtle insinuation served to fire up David's temper and he shouted, "What the hell are you talking about? Who the hell are you?"

And it was then that Lao Mu laughed. It was an unpleasant sound, harder to the ears than even his reedy voice.

"Forgive me, I have been remiss," he said in polite tones. He was smiling but the affable expression he was attempting to imitate did nothing to dispel the menace sent by those unblinking eyes of his.

"I am Mu Long, a lowly servant of the San Tou Long," he said, his humble words belying the arrogance and pride hidden there.

It was said that the more humble a man's words were, the more deserving that man was of respect.

If not respect, then fear.

Mu Long did not speak anything more and it was Yazaki Gi who leaned into the light, smiling his twisted smile.

"You see, Mr. McKay, it will only take a single tip from a concerned citizen before the police will be all over your brother's ship." His smile grew wider. "How long do you think before your brother figures out your part in his ruin?"

A moment passed. Somewhere outside, a stray dog yapped, its faint barking partially drowned by the thick blanket of dank air that gathered along the tunnel leading towards the basement.

Finally, in a strained voice, David spoke, "What do you want me to do?"

This seemed to please Yazaki immensely. Raising both arms so that his elbows rested on the armrest of his chair, he smiled and proceeded to tell the _gaijin_ what it was he wanted done.

Minutes later, David emerged from the warehouse, his pale blond hair shining under the moonlight. He stood there for a moment, taking deep gulps of air and rubbing his hands vigorously. Then, he walked briskly towards his waiting coach.

"Maki-_san_," his driver spoke.

"Drive me to the docks, Fuko-_san_," David ordered as he climbed inside.

From his hiding place behind some crates, the stranger watched the coach drive away. He waited until the coach made a turn somewhere in the distance before he stepped out and lit a match. The brief flare of light illuminated narrow gold eyes and sharp, angular features.

Sitting at his feet was a dog, ears pulled back as it quietly enjoyed the slow stroking from the hands of the amber-eyed stranger.

"Good dog," Saitou Hajime said, releasing a thin wisp of smoke as he did.

* * *

Dawn was yet to break and the streets in this seedy part ofTokyowere still deserted. Sano was walking down the street, thinking about last night's conversation with a comrade from his Seikihoutai days.

Tsuhioko Tsunan – Katsu – still wrote for the anti-government newspaper he worked for before Sano leftJapanseven years ago. Katsu was the friend who fought along his side with the Seikihoutai. He was the friend now who would help him in tracking down a few people who were somehow connected with the Red Lanterns.

"Hong-se Ling Tou? I've heard about him," Katsu said, pouring _sake_ into Sano's cup.

"Not 'him,' Katsu. Her," Sano corrected.

Katsu looked at him in disbelief but seeing Sano's serious expression, he chuckled. "I don't believe it. The most feared Hong-se Ling Tou is a woman?" He looked impressed. "And you met her?"

"I haven't actually met her but I was in the same room with her once," Sano answered. "She doesn't let anyone see her face."

"Must be ugly."

"No, I hear she has a bewitching face."

"Oh," Katsu sounded, drinking from his cup. "And you want to know about the Red Lanterns…why? I thought you're done with them. You said so in your last letter."

"So you got the letter?" Sano asked, glancing at his friend. "Then you got the money I sent as well?"

Katsu grinned. "Why you do you think you're sitting in my house now drinking my very best _sake_?"

Sano laughed. "Good, good," he said, tossing the contents of his cup into his mouth.

"Listen, I don't know what you've heard, Sano," Katsu said, turning serious now, "but word is out that an _onmitsu_ group – no, not the Oniwabanshuu – but another one is on the move. They say they are under the orders of one who carries the paper crane…."

Sano gazed wide-eyed at his friend. "It's them."

"The Red Lanterns?" Katsu asked. "Do you have any idea what they are planning to do? This _onmitsu_ _kidou_ are killing off key people known to work both sides – the government and underground groups. The police have been called to investigate the assassinations but they don't know anything yet."

"It's a clean-up," Sano murmured.

"A what?"

"A clean-up, Katsu. It's what the Red Lanterns do when they realize there's a traitor in their midst." _Huang Liwei always said: 'Blood is the only thing that can cleanse the stain of treachery.' But what is happening? Why here?_ "They're after something," Sano said, turning to his friend. "I know it. It's not only the Red Lanterns who are here. The San Tou Long is here, too."

Katsu sat straighter, holding Sano's stare. He did not know what Sano's interest was in all this, but if he was this troubled, then…. "I will start the inquiry at once."

Shielding his eyes from the bright glare of the early morning sun, Sano continued to take lazy strides along the beaten old path in Ruffian Row. It was a path familiar to him for how many times had he walked these streets? How many brawls had he fought here when he still bore the name 'Zanza'? And how many nights had he spent on the sides of these streets, unable to stand because of the amount of _sake_ he drank?

His old long house. It was still there. Yahiko told him that once in a while he would come to clean the place up.

Sano shook his head mentally. He was such a fool then. Such a young fool.

He was almost to the city districts now, stepping past damaged shanties that have long been abandoned by their owners and which became a favorite haunt of petty members of local _yakuza_ and other unsavory characters. He stealthily quickened his steps though outwardly, he maintained his casual swagger, hands in his pockets and eyelids drooping slightly.

Suddenly, he stopped.

A few paces away from him stood three men. Fighters-for-hire, by the looks of them. They appeared to be waiting for someone. _Me_, Sano realized. Grinning mockingly, he strolled towards them, still keeping his hands in his pockets.

"Are you Zanza?" One of the three men called out menacingly, slowly drawing out his _katana_ from its scabbard. He was wearing a black _gi_ and a visible jagged scar marred the left side of his face.

_Was I really gone that long if they can't even remember the face of the one called 'Zanza'?_ Sano wondered unnecessarily. "What's it to you?" he demanded, gazing insolently at the scarred man.

He saw through his peripheral vision two more men appear. They were also carrying _katana_ and were clad in black. An _onmitsu_ group? No, they were local thugs hired perhaps by someone who was hiding in the shadows.

"We have business to take care of," Scar-face said, drawing closer.

"Then by all means," Sano drawled, "who's stopping you?"

"You see, Zanza," Scar-face said, "_you_ are our business." And with that, he gestured with his head, a sign for his companions to start the assault.

All four men attacked simultaneously. The first one issued a high kick, his foot and the deadly point of his _katana_ directed towards his victim. _Slow._ Moving his body sideways, Sano took him by the foot, using the attacker's bodyweight and speed as momentum when he flung him away.

The other three men did not stop to watch their companion fall and pick himself up. With angry shouts, they ran towards Sano's lithe form, swords at the ready.

Still grinning, Sano leapt away from one sword slash, then bent his torso at the hips to avoid another. His hands formed hooks as he grabbed the wrist of one attacker, squeezing hard enough to bruise the tendons and making the man cry out in pain and drop his weapon. Sano quickly whirled around and sent a fist to the man behind him and an elbow to the other one, making him cough out, winded.

By then, the first attacker recovered enough to stand and glare at Sano who nodded casually, challengingly. Cursing, the man moved forward swiftly, his _katana_ held in front of him and leveled it parallel to the ground. The stance was sudden, giving Sano not enough room to maneuver out of it.

With a low grunt, he brought his fists together against the flat side of the blade stopping its deadly descent towards his chest. There was a peculiar sound, almost like a bell tolling, and then the attacker's _katana_ disintegrated.

Scar-face stared in stupefaction at the powdered pieces of the sword lying on the ground near his companion's feet. A moment of silence and then the one still holding the useless sword hilt suddenly cried out in pain. Scar-face looked up at him sharply and his eyes widened in shock to see blood spurt out from the man's wrist.

"Witchcraft!" Scar-face murmured under his breath as large beads of sweat appeared along the sides of his face.

Sano chuckled at this though he too was surprised at the lethalness of the stance. He had not used the Futae no Kiwami in a long time, having no actual use for it except when situations became desperate, like this one. He did not realize how much his strength had improved so that a blow could not only destroy the target but damage those surrounding it as well.

"His wrist is broken. He will not be able to use his _katana_ for some time," he informed the one with the scar who continued to glare at him, his disfigured face taking on a more menacing look.

* * *

Osaga stared down at the diminutive woman standing beside him. They were inside an abandoned house by the side of the street and in front of them, in plain view (though they themselves remained indiscernible), was Sano and five of Osaga's hired thugs.

"Futae no Kiwami," Liwei murmured, almost unconsciously, her onyx eyes trailing after Sano's graceful movements.

Osaga waited.

Finally, Liwei looked up at him and said, "I've never actually seen the stance performed but from what I hear, it is a difficult one to master." Returning her gaze to the fight scene in front, she continued quietly, "But seeing it now..." Here, her voice dropped.

Osaga gave a grunt, staring with narrowed eyes at the lean man dodging blows effortlessly. He felt his anger simmer but it was directed more on his own men's ineptitude. He had chosen them himself, based on their reputation, and to see them like this, helpless in the face of this arrogant youth - he felt his blood boil.

Liwei slanted a gaze at him as she said, "It seems, Osaga-_kun_, that your men are no match for this Zanza."

The provocation got its deserved reaction. Osaga grunted, his hands tightening its grip on his double _katana_. A second later, he stepped out and walked towards where Sano stood.

* * *

Sano realized what was happening as soon as the men attacked. They were not just thugs after his money or out to challenge him. They were under orders. Katsu's words came back to him. A clean-up: all those whose loyalty to the syndicate was made suspect had to be eliminated. He was certain that Huang Liwei was behind this.

What was she trying to do? She was trying to kill him. That was what she was doing, in spite of what she told him. She was a liar. Following him and giving him warnings. She, too, was under orders and she would carry them out like she always did.

Sano gritted his teeth. _Well, aren't you in for a surprise?_

Confronting Aoshi yesterday before he left for the Aoi-ya, the former _okashira_ had told him that the Oniwabanshuu were under no obligation to give in to the Red Lanterns' demand but that it seemed Liwei had some leverage over the Oniwabanshuu forcing Okina, their most senior member, to call for an emergency meeting back at the headquarters. Shinomori had neglected to tell him the nature of the leverage – was it information about a person? A location? Some secret that the _onmitsu_ did not want revealed? - only that he should exercise both care and caution in his dealings; after all, the Oniwabanshuu was not the only _onmitsu_ group who had ties with the Red Lanterns.

Was this what he meant?

Sano made short work of the four men and even Scar-face who proved to be much more skillful than his companions. Sano suffered a gash across his right shoulder where the man's blade ran through him. Without pausing for a single moment, he slammed his fist against Scar-face's stomach, making him double over. Sano then grabbed his head and bashed it hard against his knee which he lifted just for that purpose. Scar-face slumped to the ground, bleeding and unconscious.

However, before Sano even had time to recover, he heard a sound behind him and he whirled just in time to see the flash of metal moving swiftly towards him. He staggered to the side, throwing out his arms for balance as he twisted his body to avoid the blade.

The newcomer was nodding appreciatively at his quick reflexes. This man was unlike the first batch of his attackers. He must make take care of his moves.

"I must admit you are unusually fast for a street brawler, Zanza," Osaga said. "But I wonder how your reflexes will fair against my double swords?"

Sano only grinned. _This_ was what Shinomori meant. There was no doubt this man was _onmitsu_. "And I must admit that I am immensely puzzled why the Red Lanterns hired a bunch of circus freaks."

The insult was clear.

With an angry oath, Osaga attacked, his swords flashing. The movement was extremely quick so that for several moments, Sano could do nothing but keep dodging. His black _onmitsu_ uniform was the only thing visible. Like a blur of darkness, it moved towards Sano while his flashing swords resembled two silver snakes treading the air.**  
**

* * *

TBC

* * *

**AN** Mu is written with the character for "tree" "wood" or "coffin." Lao is written the same way as the "lao" in Lao Tzu. It's a title of respect. Literally means "old" or "wise."


	12. Chapter 11: Swords, Needles and Stitches

**Concessions**

_by lawless_

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

* * *

**Chapter 11: _Swords, Needles, and Stitches_**

Sano felt the sting of the blade slicing through the skin in his forearm. He took three side steps to get himself out of danger but the black-clad _onmitsu_ had turned as well, following him and increasing the vigor of his attacks. His double swords shone and his wrists were a blur, making it difficult for Sano to judge their movements. Suddenly, the two blades dove towards his heart and when he tried to move sideways, the blades switched positions. Their fight became an endless dance of shining metal and blurred figures and the fighters began to tire.

Huang Liwei watched the scene stoically. Her onyx eyes followed every move, taking in all aspects. The two fighters were too engrossed with each other to notice her presence, which was just as well. So fierce was the fight that distraction of any form could very well mean the death of either one.

It was clear that Osaga had the advantage of extended reach. Even without his speed, his double swords could injure the opponent much more quickly and efficiently. But Sano had power and stamina on his side. Despite his defensive stance and being unable to retaliate, he still managed to hold his own against the deathly speed of Osaga's double swords. It did not look as though this fight was going to be over soon.

Making her decision, Liwei fished out something from beneath her cloak and contemplated her next move.

Sano felt sweat trickling down his back and he strove hard to concentrate on the _onmitsu_'s shadowed eyes. It was the only constant in his wildly changing landscape as he continued to deftly dodge the flying blades. Somehow, somewhere, he had managed to sneak in blows of his own - a clip to the jaw, a quick jab to the ribs, a chop to the shoulders. But his blows, though highly calculated, did little to incapacitate the opponent. Osaga was still as fast as ever.

The double swords shone once more as they flew towards him. Suddenly, Sano made a left feint and then banked sharply to the right, the lethal blades barely grazing his neck. As he did so, he saw an opening in Osaga's defenses. He did not stop to think. Lunging forward, he raised his hand to form a loose fist and propelled himself towards the opponent. The bend of his fingers were the first to make contact with Osaga's right shoulder blade and he felt white-hot pain travel up his arms. He shouted an oath, barely even feeling the second pressure, the lethal blow of the _futae no kiwami_.

A crack, an agonized cry, and then the unmistakable sound of metal clattering to the ground. Osaga was standing, face contorted in what must be excruciating pain as he clutched his dangling right arm, rendered swollen and useless, the bones damaged beyond repair.

Despite the damage to his own hand, Sano was about to rush him when he was arrested by a sharp prick at the back of his neck and a stinging sensation traveling through his whole body, growing more painful by the minute. He instinctively reached behind him and raised the tiny needle in line with his rapidly fading vision. The thin strip of metal shone under the sunlight and Sano realized then what just happened.

_Poison._

The world began to tilt and then, he was lying flat on his back, staring at a pair of onyx black eyes that grew larger and larger as she drew closer. He felt the cold touch of her fingers as they brushed against his face before the merciful blanket of darkness engulfed him. And then, there was nothing.

* * *

Megumi sighed as she closed the door to the Oguni Clinic behind her. It was almost noon and she had spent the entire morning doing inventory and making lists of what herbs and medical concoctions were needed before the apothecary would be ready for patients. All in all, her day was quiet and she hoped that the relative tranquility would stretch on at least until lunch. She perhaps hoped wrong for standing before her at the bottom of the steps was Sano, his clothes tattered and stained with blood.

"_Kitsune_," he said, grinning weakly despite the feverish tint to his face. She did not wait for him to say anything else as she rushed towards him before he fell down from sheer exhaustion. "Sorry," he muttered. "I messed up again."

"I'm sorry, too," she said, taking hold of his left arm and placing it around her shoulders. "Even after all these years, I still haven't made any breakthroughs in the cure for stupidity."

He started to chuckle but ended up coughing instead. "Stop flirting with me, _kitsune-onna_," he managed between coughs.

"I will if you stop giving me that look," she quipped. She helped him take tentative steps towards the clinic, laboring under his weight. Despite their light exchange, her mind was working furiously, her senses taking in the smell of blood and the dried brown stains on his shirt revealed under his coat.

His fists – he'd used them again – were the worse for wear but the bandage should have absorbed most of the force. There were small cuts on his forearm, revealed by the torn sleeves of his coat._ Defensive wounds_, she thought, _Superficial._ What really worried her was the one on his shoulder. It was a clean gash - accomplished with a sword, no doubt - and he must have lost a lot of blood if he was this weak.

They were inside the clinic now and by the time Megumi maneuvered both of them to the examining room, she was panting from the exertion. Sano was slipping from consciousness, she could see that as she laid him down on the futon, struggling to keep herself from collapsing under his weight. She paused, hands resting on her bent knees as she tried to regain her breath. But there was no moment to lose!

After barely a minute, she hurriedly went to work, taking out a pair of scissors from the low table nearby where the instruments were kept. She snipped at his bloodied shirt, noticing for the first time (and perhaps unnecessarily) that it was made of rich material. Finally, his upper torso was bared before her and she saw that the shoulder wound was indeed nasty but not as deep as she had previously thought. The blood was already congealing around it but for every minute that passed with the wound exposed like this the risk of infection increased.

"What did you do this time, _toriatama_? Cheat at dice?" She said, glaring at his sleeping form even as she felt her heart pound in near-panic.

She debated whether to leave him exposed like that while she went to boil water and get some clean rags. _But what am I thinking? Of course, I need those rags if I have to cleanse his wounds,_ she scolded herself. _I'm slipping,_ she thought with some alarm. She never slipped before.

There was no one to assist her so she must do everything herself. She looked around her for something to tie her hair back, caught sight of the bloodied pieces of clothing on the floor. Then, she glanced down at Sano who was still sleeping and saw the red bandanna that he always kept with him.

"You don't mind if I borrow this, do you?" She muttered under her breath as she reached forward to grasp the cloth that covered his forehead.

It was a little damp on the edges where his sweat stained the cloth. Megumi did not mind it so much as she explored the back of his head for the knot that secured the cloth there. She felt it loosen at the same moment that a warm hand grasped one of her wrists. She met Sano's half-closed eyes as he abruptly turned her palm over and kissed the center. He might have said something but she couldn't hear him. And then, he let her go and closed his eyes, finally giving in to the call of slumber.

Her palm still tingling, Megumi quickly tied her hair back using the bandanna. She rose and padded towards the kitchen, returning a moment later with a basin of clean water in her arms and several cloth strips draped on her shoulders. Then she knelt beside his _futon_ and began the process of cleaning his wounds.

* * *

He felt himself being hurled across space, his body slamming against the hard concrete of the police interrogation room. He cried, raising his arms protectively over his head as he watched with dread in his gut the man called Fujita Goro take a step towards him.

There were other men in the room as well. At least, two of them. But none generated as much threat and menace as Officer Fujita, his gold eyes narrowed in that wolvish glare and a casual smirk decorating his lean features. He seemed to take inordinate pleasure in being nasty.

"Start talking," Saitou drawled, taking a stick of cigarette from his pack and calmly lighting it.

"I don't know anything!" Yamattori Kensai said hoarsely. "I swear by the gods!"

The amber eyes narrowed ever so slightly but the voice remained unfazed. "If you must swear, Yamattori, swear by something more tangible. Your life, for instance," he suggested helpfully.

Yamattori's eyes widened in panic. "No, please, don't kill me. I really don't know anything!"

Saitou stared at him for a moment, nose wrinkled in disdain at his cowering form. Then, he sighed and calmly pulled his sword from its sheath. "Very well, is that your final answer?" He examined his sword under the faint rays of sunlight that found its way through the underground room.

It did not seem possible but Yamattori's eyes widened even more until they almost bulged from their sockets. "Alright! Alright! I'll tell you what I know. Just please, please don't...don't kill me, please. I beg of you!"

Saitou gave him a leisurely smile. "Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Please," Yamattori whimpered.

Grabbing hold of his collar, Saitou pulled him up until he was half-kneeling, half-sprawled on the hard floor. The sword made a swishing sound as it returned to its scabbard and Saitou took a long drag at his cigarette before he spoke, "Start by telling me why Yazaki Gi's men are watching the _onna-sensei_."

* * *

Sano opened his eyes to find himself staring at a very familiar-looking ceiling. The monotonous pattern of the wood had a strange, calming effect on him so that for several moments, he lay looking up at it until a sound from the doorway brought his gaze away.

Myojin Tsubame rose from her kneeling position outside the _shoji_ and padded towards where Sano lay. She did not notice Sano awake yet and he was not inclined to inform her of that as she knelt once more, placing the tray she was holding on the floor.

And then he asked, "How long was I out?"

Tsubame jumped, nearly spilling the contents of the tray. "Sanosuke-_san_!" She exclaimed.

Her voice must have been overly loud for in an instant the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps was heard. Megumi slid the _fusuma _open with a swish, looking breathless, her hair flowing gracefully behind her.

"What's happened? Tsubame –" She caught herself when she only saw Tsubame's startled face and Sano, lying there, completely awake.

"How long was I out?" Sano repeated the question, shifting his gaze away from Megumi's.

"Y-you…" Tsubame stammered. "You startled me, Sanosuke-_san_. I thought you were still asleep."

_Asleep? More like being sacked behind the head so hard the lights went out. How long was I unconscious?_ He wondered, noticing from the corners of his eyes Megumi approach. The two women talked with each other, their soft voices barely audible, through the haze that still covered Sano's brain, before he interrupted them with an impatient sound. "Has everybody gone deaf?"

It was Megumi who finally answered. "You came yesterday. You spent the night here at the clinic."

"I'm at the clinic?" He said, attempting to sit up. In the past whenever Sano was hurt from fighting, this was where he always ended up. Megumi would be there, attending to a patient or doing some paperwork or else closing up, and she'd see him hovering outside, all bruised and bloodied up, and she wouldn't even be surprised and simply let him in. She would be disappointed in him though and she didn't have to hurl out a string of abuses to let him know that, though she often did.

"Don't try to move or your stitches will burst," she snapped at him.

The movement caused him to feel a little dizzy. No pain though. Still, he forced himself to settle back against the pillows, staring up at the _onna-sensei_ with heavy-lidded eyes. Now that he thought about it, Megumi looked a little haggard. There were dark circles under her eyes as though she had not slept well. He had a dawning suspicion….

"You stayed up for me?"

"I didn't want to move you," she informed. "And someone had to stay here. Tsubame-_chan_ was kind enough to bring us food."

"We were worried why Megumi-_sensei_ didn't come home last night so Yahiko-_kun_ came to get her," Tsubame explained. "After seeing you, Sanosuke-_san_, and the state you were in, Yahiko-_kun_ thought he'd go around and ask what really happened."

"That's a bad idea," Sano told her. It wasn't that he thought Yahiko couldn't take care of himself but this thing with the Red Lanterns was his business. He didn't want any of his friends getting involved only to put them in harm's way for something that he did a long time ago. It was enough to ask Katsu for help. Katsu had no family, no one to grieve or mourn his loss if things ever went south. Besides, Katsu lived for these things.

"What are you talking about?" That was Megumi sensing his troubled thoughts. The next question was asked by the old Megumi, the one who disapproved of his actions all the time. "What have you done now, _toriatama?_"

Sano just shook his head as he, once more, tried to sit up. This time, he was prepared for the dizziness as well as the dull throb of pain that was finally making itself known. "It's nothing. Just stuff I gotta take care of," he said, trying to shrug off her worry.

"Oh, no, you don't," she said. Turning to the younger woman, she asked, "Tsubame-_chan_, could you please pour me a cup from that pot? Also, I've prepared some poultice in the backroom. They should be ready now. Could you get it for me please?"

Tsubame dutifully poured the steaming liquid into a cup and handed it to Megumi. Then, without another word, she stood up and went to the backroom. Alone for the moment, Sano looked up queasily at Megumi. "What's that in there?" He asked.

"Tea."

"It smells vile," he said, sniffing and sending her a suspicious look.

"What are you saying? That I'm trying to poison you?" She asked in a dangerous tone. "It's ginkgo biloba, a dash of black cohosh, some skullcap, rehmania and kuzu…."

Sano was barely listening to the rest of what she said. The word 'poison' suddenly reminded him of something vital: the needle to his neck and Huang Liwei standing over him. Did the Red Lantern agent try to kill him? This would not be the first time. He'd lost count of how many times she'd attempted to end his life while he was in Hong Kong, just as he'd lost count of how many times she'd actually saved him. The needle wasn't poisoned; otherwise, he would have died hours ago. What did she do then? Sedate him? So he wouldn't pose a threat while she accomplished her mission for Hong-se Lingtou? What was that mission? And why did she implicate Megumi that day at the pass?

"…help with your dizziness, improve circulation. You lost a lot of blood," Megumi finished.

Sano glanced at her, noting for the first time the red strip of cloth she used to tie her hair back. He reached up automatically for his forehead, finding it bare, and looked at her again, giving her a crooked grin. "It suits you, _kitsune_. I always imagined you'd look good in red."

His relationship with her had not always been placid. Strike that. It had never been placid. They came from opposing sides of the spectrum and they seldom saw each other eye to eye. In Kenshin, they found their first common ground and gradually, as they shared more and more experiences together, they gained each other's grudging respect. Of course, it had been something more for Sano, who had not known what to do with her flirtations or the feelings they evoked except hide them behind a mask of confusion and false bravado.

Now…. Now he wasn't as confused as he was seven years ago. He felt more for her now, if that was even possible. And along with that knowledge was the certainty that he was going to do everything he could to protect her, even if she did end up marrying Pete McKay's little brother.

"Oh, this?" She touched the red bandanna, coloring slightly. "I borrowed this from you earlier. Do you want it back?"

"Yeah," he said, holding out a hand for it. "It's the last thing I have from those days, _kitsune_. The one thing that keep them from being just a memory."

"I understand," she murmured as she laid the cloth across his palm. "There's only so much you can hold on to."

Soon, Tsubame returned, carrying a large bowl covered with a white towel. Megumi asked Sanosuke to strip, which he did with some protestation, until he noticed that he was not wearing his own clothes but a _yukata_ – somebody else's, judging by the tightness to the shoulders and the shortness of its length. "What am I wearing?" Sano abruptly asked, noticing the pile of bloodied cloth that was his shirt and pants sitting in the corner of the room.

Megumi had seen many a naked body in her profession. She'd even seen Sano without most of his clothes on more than once. Even so, she couldn't help the slight blush creeping up her cheeks when she said, "I had to cut you out of your clothes. Those are Genzai-_sensei_'s."

Sano lifted his brows, realizing what had to happen to get to that part. "**You** did this?"

Megumi stared at him, starting to get irritated. "Well, do you see anyone else here?"

Settling back on his pillow, Sano stared at the ceiling again and said carelessly, "Don't be mad, _kitsune_. It's just that in all my fantasies of you undressing me, I never thought I'd be unconscious the whole time."

"Obviously, you didn't fantasize enough, _toriatama,_" she told him dryly, forgetting for the moment that Tsubame was right behind her. The younger woman hid a smile as she removed the towel and laid it down beside the still warm bowl of poultice.

"_Anou_, Megumi-_sensei_, do you still need me for anything else? With Yahiko-_kun_ out of the house, I'm afraid I can't stay for too long," Tsubame said apologetically.

"Oh, yes!" Megumi started. "I'm sorry, Tsubame-_chan_. Yes, you must go. Thank you very much for your help. I'll be fine here with this idiot."

Idiot.

_Oi, oi!_ Sano wanted to protest but Megumi was already standing up and showing Tsubame out. He could hear their soft murmurs, the swish of the _shoji_ closing and then Megumi's padded footsteps as she made her way back. She opened the _fusuma_ and entered. "Now, where were we?" There was a smirk on her face.

"You were calling me an idiot," he said peevishly.

* * *

TBC

* * *

**AN** Check out the fanart made by jute whatever for this chapter over at excursus-digression (dot) tumblr (dot) com. I love these fanarts. They're making me feel inspired to go back to this story and finally finish editing it.


	13. Chapter 12: Turbulent Emotions

**Concessions**

_by lawless_

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

* * *

**Chapter 12: _Turbulent Emotions_**

"I thought you're not cooking, _kitsune_," Sano commented as Megumi reentered the room.

They were at the _dojo_, having made their way from the clinic as soon as Sano was strong enough to walk. He still felt a little woozy but the pain of his wounds and bruises had dissipated to something like a dull throbbing which he was able to relegate to the back of his mind.

"I didn't," Megumi replied. "You should thank Tsubame-_chan_ for her forethought though," she added, placing the tray on the low table beside Sano. "She knew you wouldn't want to stay at the clinic once you recovered. So, she prepared a light meal before she left."

Sano nodded thoughtfully, picking up his _hashi_ and then handing the other pair to Megumi who was preparing to kneel down opposite him.

After an enthusiastic '_itadekimasu_', Sano wondered aloud, "Where is everyone anyway? It seems every time I come here, someone's always gone."

"Yutaro is at his own place. He only teaches class in the mornings. And Tsubame, well, she's probably out with Yahiko and the children."

"What's taking them so long?"

Sano was not that worried though. After he learned that Huang Liwei merely used a sedative on him, it meant the onyx-eyed woman had come through for him. Often and often she was a puzzle, her motives unclear, but it was just as she said: _There is something to be said about old friendships._ Maybe Huang Liwei let him go this time. A warning: stay out of Red Lanterns business.

Oh, he was going to stay out of it alright. He'd had enough of the syndicates when he was inHong Kong. He was not about to make the same mistake again. Sano took a bite of his food and stole a glance at Megumi, wondering what she would think of him if he told her what he'd done while he was away. Would she scold him like she used to? Laugh at his foibles? Cry at his losses? Would she look at him the way she did when she saw the scars on his hands?

"Don't you love autumn?" She suddenly asked, turning to him with a dreamy smile. "It's my favorite time of the year. The trees seem on fire even with the coming cold. And I love the burning smell of dry leaves."

It reminded her of her childhood, of a time when she used to play in the garden with family members looking on from the _engawa_ while the servants swept the fall into big piles to be lit later into bonfires, the thick smoke permeating the paper walls and making her eyes water. Her mother would make sweets in the kitchen while her father would show her how to make his favorite chamomile leaf tea. Then eleven-year-old Ryuichi would come in and pull her hair or tease her until the two of them would be running around the house, laughing and shrieking. Sometimes, she missed them so much she'd give anything to go back. But, of course, she couldn't. _Look at what's in front of you, Megumi_, she told herself, not for the first time, and as she glanced back at her food, what was in front of her was a bandaged hand surreptitiously reaching for the last piece of _osagi_ from the plate.

"Ah," she sounded.

Sano's _hashi_ paused in mid-air as he caught her stare. "Uh, are you going to eat that?"

Megumi looked at him, amusement and disbelief warring in her features. "You're incorrigible," she exclaimed. Then, picking up her _osagi_ with her _hashi_, she added, "As a matter of fact, yes, I'm going to eat this. I'm hungry, too, you know."

"But I'm injured," Sano protested loudly. "Don't you doctors take some sort of oath, promising not to starve your patients to death?"

"Actually, _toriatama_," Megumi retorted, giving him a saccharine smile, "I took an oath to save people's lives. There was no mention of any rule about giving up my own food to feed starving patients." Still grinning, she quirked her eyebrows at him expectantly and had to laugh when he merely made a face.

Megumi did not want to think too much about it but she was aware of him and it was disconcerting and exciting at the same time. She could not explain it herself this sense of buoyancy, this suffusion of sensations. She never felt this way about David, with his smiling eyes and timid touches. Not even in his most impassioned moments did David incite the way Sano did with a word or a look or a simple touch of his hand. Sagara Sanosuke who was only a boy when she saw him last, a boy trying so hard to be a man. Now, she saw that he didn't have to try so hard. He was already that man, she discovered at the same time she realized with a pang that he was not the man for her. His was the entire world just waiting to be discovered while hers was Aizu andTokyo, a world she'd known all her life.

"Megitsune?" Sano asked, noticing that she'd gone quiet. "What is it?"

Megumi looked at him, momentarily pulled from her thoughts. "Nothing. I was just thinking." She gave him an abstracted smile.

"You know what I missed most when I was in Mongolia?" He said conversationally, leaning against the wall behind him. He'd finished eating some time ago and was contenting himself with water from a cup.

"Kaoru's terrible cooking?" She took a wild guess.

He grinned widely. "_Jou-chan_'s cooking would've been heaven sent. If you only knew what sort of things they ate at the steppes, Megumi."

"Do I want to know?"

"There was a time when all we had for two straight weeks were centipede soup and goat cheese worms."

"Sounds appetizing," she said sarcastically as she tried not to have mental pictures of these exotic dishes. Instead, she tried to picture Sano in the harsh mountainous landscape ofMongolia. He'd be on horseback, chewing on a tuft of grass, the sun beating down hard. She found herself idly wondering if that was how he got so brown. "How long did you stay there?" She asked after a moment.

"About two years," he answered. "I was hired as one of the bodyguards for this merchant tribe and we used to cross the Gobi desert for weeks at a time in order to trade with the Yakuts, then come back the same way to trade their stuff for stuff the Chinese sold along theSilk Road. I got into many fights."

"Naturally," Megumi interjected.

Sano merely sent her a brief grin. "But I met a few friends, too," he continued. "This Mongol I know, Bataar, taught me Mongolian wrestling and hawking. His sister, Oyunbileg – it means "Gift of Wisdom," she taught me how to ferment goat's milk into wine. It's not at all like _sake_ but it served well enough, especially when goat's milk wine made all the difference between sleeping and freezing to death in Siberia."

"You made it all the way toSiberia?" Actually, she wanted to ask him about this Mongolian girl, the one whose name made his voice soften just a little bit when he spoke it.

"That's where the Yakuts lived. And the Eskimos, too, but we didn't trade with them." He fell quiet.

Megumi tried to imagine the sights he mentioned: deserts and grassy lands and icy forests. It all seemed extreme, and yet, the way he talked about it, his voice deep and slow as though he was savoring the memory, made her realize that he missed it. Not just Mongolia and the girl called Wisdom but the idea of it – of roaming free, no past, no future, just the exhilarating "nowness" of the adventure.

"And then there was the war. It wasn't my war so for a while, I stayed up in the steppes, away from the conflict, but then I heard, mainly through word of mouth, that Kenshin was there…." He closed his eyes as though reliving that moment of his past. He did not have to say anything for her to know just how painful this particular time was for him. That was the time he'd found Kenshin, ravaged almost beyond recognition, on the brink of death. There was nothing worse than seeing a dying man but to have to witness it being dragged out for weeks must be a true test of the soul. Unlike the others, Megumi understood why Sano didn't return with the _rurouni_ that time. Death always took its toll. Never more so than when its victim was the closest friend a person could ever have in one lifetime.

For a long time, there was only the faint "pu" sound of the _shishi-doshi_ as the two occupants of the room fell silent, too caught up with the emotions evoked by remembrances of the past. Sano was the first to break the silence. "_Na, kitsune_," he began, looking at her with a strange light in his eyes. He was grinning slightly like he was a boy about to share a secret he'd been particularly holding on to for some time. He asked, "Do you know what I really missed the most when I was gone?"

Lulled into thinking it was merely a harmless question, she shook her head.

Without stirring from his position, he spoke only one word: "You."

Megumi smiled, then his words took shape and meaning, and she started, whipping her head around to stare at him. Her mouth formed words but no sound came out. "Sano, I –" she managed to choke out before she stopped herself.

"You're blushing, Megumi," he pointed out.

Horrified, she rose to her feet and padded out of the room.

* * *

Megumi leaned heavily against a post, finding support from the sturdy wood. She was standing within the shelter of the _rouka_, facing the courtyard, which afforded her an unmitigated view of bamboo swaying gracefully in the wind. But instead of calming her like they used to countless times before, the convergence of thoughts and emotions were like claws on her nerves.

"_Kitsune_," Sano's deep voice spoke from behind her, causing her to react more strongly than necessary.

"What?" She said with vehemence in her tone, turning just in time to catch the unguarded hurt look enter his brown eyes. But the revelation was brief and Sano's defenses quickly went up.

"What's wrong?" He asked casually.

"Nothing," she returned stonily, trying to stalk past him but Sano refused to budge. She glared at his toes. "Let me pass."

"No."

His single-worded answer drove her to an exasperated sigh. "_Mou_, I'm tired and I'm not in the mood, _toriatama_," she said, "Now, let me pass."

But Sano was already cornering her against the wall, an arm on either side of her. He leaned close to her face so he could level gazes with her and his proximity was Megumi's undoing as she found herself (to her horror) staring at his incredibly male mouth, the memory of their kiss still fresh on her mind.

It was only a kiss. It meant nothing…but if that was the case, why was her heart pounding so?

Sano had noticed the rapid pulse down her neck, the quickened breath, and he grinned as he realized that the _kitsune_ was not as unaffected as she pretended to be. "_Na_," he said, still in the same casual tone, "your forces are too divided to be declaring war against me, _kitsune-sensei_."

Now, it was her turn to scowl. "War?" She repeated, her voice clipped, but she caught her breath when Sano chose this moment to run the back of his hand against her smooth cheeks in a disturbing caress. If she felt her nerves raw before, no doubt they were chafed now. _Kami-sama_, what was he doing to her? The brush of skin against skin was making her head reel so that she had to force herself to concentrate on what he was saying.

"This war," Sano was saying almost growlingly. Megumi's eyelids had dropped, staring at him through thick, sooty lashes. He wanted to kiss her eyes, press them close with his lips. He wanted to feel her skin, touch her, breathe her in. He licked dry lips and whispered, "Don't fight me, Megumi."

She rested a palm on his chest, preparing to push him away. "Don't make me, Sanosuke," she warned, only to gasp as his thumb strayed to venture against her bottom lip.

"You know you missed me, too," he insisted, leaning towards her until their faces were so close to each other that their foreheads almost touched. His other hand snaked up, clutching her chin with thumb and forefinger and tugging gently, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Ask me to kiss you, _kitsune_," he urged.

She couldn't look into those eyes for long. "I can't," she said huskily, expelling a breath. "Maki-_san_ –"

All at once, Sano stepped away from her as though she'd burned him. He looked at her in sudden revelation. He felt cut off from the knees and it took him a moment to regain himself and his usual view. "So you're going to do it?" He asked, a cool mask in place. "Marry the _gaijin_ even though you feel nothing for him?"

Megumi's own face looked naked and shattered as she gazed at him. What else was she supposed to do? When she couldn't have the one standing right in front of her. Silently, she repeated to herself the kind of woman that Sano needed: a younger wife, someone with a zest for life and without a lot of baggage; someone who wouldn't mind dropping her entire world to follow him in his. That wasn't her. That would never be her.

"Don't marry him, Megitsune," he softly pleaded.

_Why not?_ A part of her – the weaker part of her – wanted to ask him. He wasn't the sort of man she wanted either. He was without root, going wherever the wind blew him. He was too unpredictable. It might be exciting for a while but after the initial thrill was gone, would there be anything left?

"Don't tell me whom to marry, Sanosuke," she finally spoke. "You have no right."

* * *

Saitou watched with a detached air as Yamattori's unconscious form was dragged away from the interrogation room. He removed his gloves, a slight sneer marking his angular features when he noticed a spatter of blood, dark against the pristine whiteness.

"I'm sure Tokio-_san_ will not be pleased by that stain. It'll be hard to get off."

The voice made the amber eyes turn sharp. "Shinomori," he spoke.

The tiny form of a young woman stepped from the shadow. The blue _onmitsu_ uniform marked her as an Oniwabanshuu member and the long, slender braid that trailed down her back identified her as their leader.

The years had been kind to Makimachi Misao. Outwardly, she was still the same, bubbly, innocent-looking, endlessly cheerful young _onmitsu_ girl fromKyoto. Looking at her, no one would have guessed that she was the recognized leader of a powerful network of spies whose roots went back to the days ofEdo. Her marriage to the stoic Shinomori Aoshi, Saitou had been told, was one of convenience to keep her influence within the group but he knew better. After all, his own marriage was arranged, too.

They were alone in the room. The last of the guards left with the prisoner. Saitou glanced at her fleetingly, before returning his gaze to his hands which were starting to remove the offending gloves.

"Yamattori's confession is useless. You brought me an informant who turns out to be a complete waste of time." He trailed his amber eyes at her.

Misao frowned. "Most of what he said was unimportant, I give you that. But he confirmed the link between Yazaki Gi and San Tou Long."

"Hmph," Saitou snorted, refusing to acknowledge that she was right. "And what of this Red Lanterns you told me about? Yamattori doesn't seem to know about them."

This time, it was Misao who snorted as she waived her hand airily. "Leave that part to me."

Saitou raised a brow discretely.

"All right," Misao gave in, rolling her eyes. "Use your own contacts. Maybe they heard of something. But you should ask Sagara Sanosuke about them, too. He seems to be chummy with one of their members."

The raised eyebrow was joined by its pair.

Misao decided to ignore this one. "Meanwhile, I suggest you check old prison records. I'm sure there's something out there that mentions the escape of a convict believed to be dead."

"Hm."

The golden eyes glinted as Saitou thoughtfully contemplated what the _onmitsu_ just told him. She had her uses after all. He would have to thank that lecherous old man, Okina, for sending her. The old man would have a fit if he knew what his wayward granddaughter was up to. A deal with a Miburo, indeed. The thought of their reaction brought a smile to his angular features, stretching his lips and turning his golden eyes into narrow slits like that of a wolf on the prowl.

* * *

TBC

* * *

**AN** My one gripe about FFnet is its stupid rule against links. Ok, third time's the charm. The fanarts can be found at **excursus-digression tumblr com**. Just replace the spaces with dots. You'll have to scroll down to the old posts because it's been a while since the fanarts were posted.

p.s. "nowness" is not a word.


	14. Chapter 13: Tangled Clues

**Concessions**

_by lawless_

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

* * *

**Chapter 13: _Tangled Clues_**

He was riffling through the papers on the jail warden's desk, going through them carefully when something caught his eye. The unlit cigarette dangling from his lips was forgotten for the moment as he gave pause, eyes narrowed on one particular name.

It was a familiar name.

Smirking inwardly, Saitou Hajime – sometimes, Fujita Goro – leaned back in his chair and stared into the dark for a second before reaching down and striking a piece of flint against the rough edges of the desk. He moved his face closer to the flame, the tip of his cigarette burning a deep red as he inhaled deeply.

In a quiet voice, he spoke into the empty room, "So where do we begin, Warden?"

At first, there was no answer but as he continued to sit there, staring intently into a seemingly blank wall, an embarrassed laugh could be heard. A stout man in gray jail officer's clothes suddenly materialized in the open doorway, smiling congenially at the quiet man. He indicated the file he was holding and said, "I see you have found what you're looking for."

Saitou remained quiet, waiting.

Still smiling faintly, the warden took the chair nearest to him and sat, resting his right elbow on the mahogany panel as he did so. His movements were clumsy, perhaps due to his heavy figure. Saitou paid no attention to this as he continued to smoke, the red glow of his cigarette the only thing visible.

"It happened almost a year ago," the warden began, "May to be exact."

"The breakout."

"_Hai_," the warden nodded. "Five prisoners died. All but one."

Saitou narrowed his eyes at this. With his index and middle finger, he took his cigarette off his mouth and then made a small gesture with it, the red glow indicating the movement as if to say "go on."

The warden took the cue and continued, "We learned later that he had some outside help. Someone from higher up wanted him free and decided to be generous but on one condition." Here, he paused for a moment before adding, "His name must be stricken from the records."

Saitou leaned forward a little, interlacing his hands together and resting them under his chin. Smoke continued to float freely from the red tip of his cigarette but he seemed unaware of this as he stared intently at the warden with glowing eyes. When he spoke, there was a hint of mockery in his tone.

"Such magnanimous act. Such loyalty from you," he drawled. "I suppose the government will have to thank you."

The warden grinned, completely missing the sarcasm in his voice or the danger lurking in those Miburo eyes. He said, "I suppose they will."

A faint smile appeared briefly on Saitou's sharp features as he slowly leaned back and appeared to ponder for a bit. The warden did not have to wait long before Saitou leaned forward again in listless, fluid motions and placed something long and heavy across the mahogany table.

The warden paled when he saw it and glanced sharply at his face, only seeing now the smirk crossing his features.

"I fear I am not so magnanimous."

A couple of hours later, Saitou was standing near the window, staring at the busy street outside his office, when a voice from behind him sounded.

"Fujita-_sama_."

He turned to regard the subordinate officer standing at the doorway.

"A message arrived from Sawagejou Chou-_san_ inHong Kong." The subordinate was stepping forward, handing Saitou the note. Afterwards, he stepped back and spoke, "He said he found Wu Tongshi and is presently holding him for questioning."

Saitou nodded, keeping his eyes on the piece of paper as he unfolded it. He studied the _kanji_ characters there, running through it once before crumpling it, his mouth forming a grim line.

The subordinate was slightly alarmed but at Saitou's gesture for him to continue, he went ahead, trying to staunch down his apprehension. The tall senior officer was a cold man but the danger he emanated seemed multiplied when he was displeased about something.

"The _Sunny Breeze_ has already leftHong Kong with the armaments, sir," he said hurriedly, "The captain, Pete McKay, seems unaware of this or of the real business his client runs."

Saitou's face darkened. "Post some men at the harbor to watch out for the ship," he said. "Make it look like it's a regular check-up. Nothing out of the ordinary."

The subordinate nodded. "Understood," he replied. He was about to turn around and step out of the room when he suddenly remembered something. The hesitation caused Saitou to raise his eyebrows, eyeing him expectantly.

"_Ano_... Fujita-_sama_," he began, stumbling over his words, "do we inform the Takani woman?"

Saitou stilled and gave him a withering glance. It was then that the subordinate understood and with a nod, he quickly left the office, the door clicking softly behind him.

* * *

"So?"

Katsu blinked. "What?"

"That's all you managed to find out?" Sano looked at his friend dubiously.

Earlier, he received a note from his former comrade. The message it contained was far too cryptic for Sano to understand but the urgency was clear: things were progressing at a much faster pace now. The more they progressed, the more dangerous the situation seemed.

Was it wise to get involved?

Huang Liwei had warned him with a needle prick to his neck to stay out of this. And not only her, Shinomori as well. Two of the most mysterious and dangerous people he knew. But if what Sano himself confirmed, the wound on his shoulder and that _onmitsu_ whose arm he destroyed, then the Red Lanterns were in the country not only to clear out the traitors to the syndicate but they were after something else, too. What was it? What was it that both the Red Lanterns and the San Tou Long wanted?

"I'm still working on a few more details," Katsu was saying in a serious tone. "So far, everybody is tight-lipped about the whole thing. No one really knows who Yazaki Gi is and those who do are paid hefty sums not to disclose anything."

Sano frowned. "So the San Tou Long is selling illegal firearms and Yazaki Gi is making everything smooth for them by greasing a few government palms." He glanced at his friend for confirmation.

"Two to be precise."

"Huh?"

Katsu gave him a smirking glance before saying, "Yazaki's got two government dogs at his beck and call." His expression turned serious. "A special investigative branch of the Tokyo Police has their eyes on Deputy Defense Minister Shimamoto Kagure and his crony, Aochigi Jirou."

Sano looked at him. "The police are on this, too?" At Katsu's nod, he asked, "How much do they know?"

"A lot considering," Katsu replied.

He watched the troubled look which Sano was trying to hide. It was no use, however. He had known him since the Sekihoutai days and even if several years had already passed, their shared past made his eyes more discerning to the changes in Sano's expressions. Right now, he could clearly see how his friend was bothered by all this. But what he could not see was why.

He considered probing deeper and spoke, "Sano, the officer heading the investigation was Shinsengumi."

That should get a reaction.

But, although Sano did not disappoint in showing a frown at that piece of information, he did not say anything concerning Saitou Hajime and merely continued to muse over what he learned so far, remembering with some puzzlement what Katsu told him that there were men under the orders of Yazaki Gi, watching Takani Megumi. But if the matter was about illegal trade in firearms, where did a woman doctor from Aizu place in all this?

The whole thing was confusing and all the clues seemed to point to the wrong thing. Sano suspected that it was probably because…. In addition to firearms, the San Tou Long dealt heavily in opium, and the Red Lanterns…. Well, they were moved by something else entirely but the San Tou Long had always been their enemy. Huang Liwei summed it up for him: _'Hong-se Ling Tou cannot let San Tou Long gain the upper hand.'_

Did that mean they were after the same thing?

The Spider's Web formula – cheap opium but twice as addictive. Only Megumi knew how it was made. She was assistant to the doctor who came up with it and after that doctor died, Takeda Kanryuu used her knowledge to his advantage. But with what Katsu told him, everything was thrown into further entanglements so that even certainty was something fickle.

"Does this have anything to do with opium at all?" He asked, not realizing that he had asked the question out loud.

Katsu sighed. "I wish you'd tell me why you're so sure it has to do with opium, Sano. While it's true that Yazaki runs a drug business, it's only one of many illegal operations that he is backing." He added, "I mean, think about it. If he's after profit and power, firearm trade and a place in the red-light district are much more lucrative than opium." He paused then as a sudden thought crossed his mind. "Unless..." he murmured, glancing in Sano's direction.

Sano quirked his brows. "Unless what?"

Katsu was staring at him intently, his mind locking onto the idea like clamps. "Unless it's personal," he said in a low tone.

* * *

The wind was blowing nicely that day and even though evidence of the coming winter was apparent in the stark landscape, the air was unexpectedly warm. The sweet scent of autumn's last sigh before the snowfall filled the atmosphere and Megumi breathed this all in, savoring it.

"Megumi?"

Startled, Megumi glanced up from her work. She was at the backyard of the Oguni Clinic, quietly digging up herbs to bring them in for the winter months. Beside her was a small wooden pail filled with mulch to cover the perennials with. It had been two days since that treacherous afternoon at the _dojo_ with Sano and during the intervening moments, she had thrown herself into her work at the clinic in a desperate plea to forget everything that happened. She was not very successful. The fact that Sano continued to be a frequent visitor at the _dojo_ did not help, especially when the mere sight of his dark head disturbed the balance of her complacency.

With a soft sigh, Megumi stood up, wiping her hands on her apron, ready to greet her unexpected but certainly welcome visitor. But she checked her smile at the sight of the blond man standing only a few feet from her. David McKay's eyes were bloodshot and there were signs of strain around them. Dark circles around his eyes and the shadowed hair along his jaws told her that he had not slept well for some days now. Beads of moisture had caused the dust of the traveling coach to stick to his neck and cheeks unpleasantly. He looked unkempt, the grim set to his mouth evidence of the grave situation at hand. Even so, she was aware, from the look in his dull eyes, that the contact with her freshness and cleanness was appealing to him.

Her perception of this fact brought a new wave of guilt, which caused her to greet him with more gaiety than was appropriate. "_Konnichiwa_, Maki-_san_. You haven't been showing your face in a while. How is everything?"

The _gaijin_ managed a faint smile, which quickly disappeared, replaced with a deep frown. "We need to talk," he said, already turning back inside.

Megumi felt a slight flutter in her chest, thinking that…. But he could not have. How could he? No one saw them that day. Still, dread followed her footsteps as she walked towards the clinic, keeping her head bowed as she hoped frantically for something, anything that would stop whatever was about to come from happening. All her carefully rehearsed speeches flew out of her head the minute she stepped in and saw that David was not alone.

* * *

_"Unless it's personal."_

"What do you mean?" Sano asked, already feeling the dread deep in his gut.

"Just think, Sano," Katsu began, leaning forward slightly, "why would a powerful crime syndicate like the San Tou Long be suddenly interested in a relatively unknown doctor? Granted that Takani-_sensei_ knows this special opium formula, it seems implausible. How did they find out? Who told them? Unless - " He made a tiny hand gesture "- someone who _knows_ told the San Tou Long _exactly_ what they would want to hear. Someone who holds a grudge against the _onna-sensei_."

Sano felt his limbs grow cold as he realized the implication of Katsu's words. Megumi…. But who? Who?

Everyone else who were involved in that incident seven years ago were either dead or had disappeared. Who else was there? And why now?

"…Sano," Katsu was saying, studying the different expressions chasing each other across his face.

Sano turned to him distractedly. "If what you say is true…"

"Speculations, Sano. I can't be sure yet," he replied, continuing to watch him. "I'll have to check it out with my sources." And then his face turned grave as he spoke quietly, "But there's something you're not telling me."

All of a sudden, Sano rose to his feet, grabbing the long, white _gi_ he had been wearing since his Western coat got torn during his fight with Osaga. He shrugged it on quickly. "Sorry, buddy, I'll explain later. Right now, I've got to do something."

Katsu stood up as well. "Trying to get information about the syndicates is one thing, but getting involved in their business…. Sano, you told me yourself that the Red Lanterns have given you their warning _before_ you even knew they were planning something. Could you at least tell an old friend why?"

"Because, Katsu," Sano answered, turning dark eyes to his friend, "I have a reason to act."

* * *

TBC

* * *

**AN** Er, is anybody still reading this?


	15. Chapter 14: A Name's Worth

**Concessions**

_by lawless_

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

* * *

**Chapter 14: _A Name's Worth_**

After Sano left Katsu's place, he walked for a while, going over everything he knew so far and putting two and two together.

The San Tou Long and Yazaki Gi. The Red Lanterns and Huang Liwei. Megumi and the Spider's Web formula. And Shinomori Aoshi. He was still not sure how the former Oniwabanshuu_ okashira_ factored in on all this. But if it involved Megumi, they both shared a fragment of history together, with opium as the connecting line. But…. What Sano did not understand was why.

_'Hong-se Lingtou cannot let San Tou Long gain the upperhand,' _Huang Liwei said. The Red Lanterns were only after what the San Tou Long were after. What was San Tou Long after? _'San Tou Long are engaged in illegal firearm trade with a man called Yazaki Gi,' _Katsu told him. And Yazaki Gi? Who was he? _'No one really knows who Yazaki Gi is….'_ A businessman…. Just a businessman?

And suddenly it dawned on Sano and he felt his heart start to pound a dreadful beat. He looked up, realizing at once that he was on the road that would eventually lead him to the Oguni Clinic. Where Megumi would be. Alone.

_'At the Pass, the snow is white and bold. But the eyes of evil are many-fold_.'

The road was deserted, jarringly so giving the illusion of safety. But the eyes of evil…. All at once, Sano began to run, trying to get to the clinic as fast as his long legs could carry him.

Puffing hard on this already hot morning, he remained oblivious to the person tailing him, until he came upon a bend in the road and had to slow down his pace a bit. It was then that he noticed the light treads sounding behind him. He whipped his head around in that direction and saw the blue uniform fluttering lightly in the wind, the long braid, the sea-green eyes narrowed against the hard glint of the sun.

It was Makimachi Misao.

"Sano!" She was shouting.

"Misao!" He exclaimed, slowing down his steps but not stopping. He watched as the _ninja_ girl sprinted up to him, looking slightly out of breath. "What are you doing here? I thought you came back toKyoto."

Her face was a picture of worry. "Sano, something's happened."

* * *

_Kyoto_

_Two weeks and three days earlier…_

"I can't believe you didn't tell me any of this!" Misao huffed, staring incredulously at the dignified though gaunt form of her _jiya_ who was nonchalantly sipping his cup of tea and looking for all intents and purposes not bothered at all by her display. In her frustration, she let out a colorful curse which caused the jaded old man to glance at her in disapproval.

"I do not appreciate cursing in this household, young lady," Okina said, fixing her with a hard glare.

Misao remained unperturbed as she rolled her eyes and squatted on the floor directly across him. Okina studied her steadily for a moment before replacing his cup on the table next to him. His movements were measured; he was buying time.

How did one explain a matter that was decades in the making?

Misao, of course, deserved to know about it. After all, she was _okashira_. But he would have preferred it if she had not found out. It was easier if she did not know, he mused quietly, then sighed as he realized how futile that was. He lived a life where no secrets remained one for long. Espionage, secret identities, intrigue – these were normal occurrences in the life of the Oniwabanshuu. There was no avoiding it.

Right after the Red Lantern agent left the Aoi-ya, Okina had sent a note capsule by carrier pigeon to Aoshi inTokyoto warn him of her coming. That was perhaps the second mistake he made. The first was not telling Misao about it in the first place. Then, she would not have found the note and she would not be facing him now with those fiery green eyes of hers.

But if there was anything Okina learned during his long, hard life, it was the futility of regretting the mistakes one made.

"_Jiya_?"

Okina lifted his faded eyes, unconsciously steeling himself against the firebrand that was her. He saw that Misao was returning his gaze just as intensely, sea-green eyes earnest with curiosity.

"I know you have your reasons, _jiya_," she said, "but _onegai shimasu_, tell me what I need to know."

There was the slightest hint of pleading in her tone and with remorse filling him, he told her.

Everything.

He had always been susceptible to her wiles.

When it was all over, Misao immediately packed her bags to leave for the capital. It was to be expected and Okina vaguely remembered that this was precisely the reason he never told her.

Once Misao made up her mind on things, there was no stopping her, nor would anyone dare. On her way out, she encountered the tall figure of her husband coming in. She did not speak to him but she gave him a glare of defiance as if to challenge. Aoshi's face remained impassive even when she took her leave of the Aoi-ya only hours after she arrived. Her chin was tilted in that stubborn angle and her strides were long and determined, all testament to her decision that brooked no argument from both men.

From inside the restaurant-inn, Okina watched his granddaughter walk away, saw Aoshi look at his young wife for a moment before approaching the old _onmitsu_ with a question in his pale blue eyes.

"Tokyo," Okina said to the silent inquiry.

"You're not stopping her," the younger man commented.

"She's your wife," the gray-haired man said in passing as he prepared to step back inside.

Aoshi did not even blink when he turned to follow.

"She's your granddaughter."

* * *

_Tokyo_

"I think you know already," Misao was saying, studying Sano's face, noting his reaction. They were walking briskly down the street on their way to the Oguni Clinic, she explaining to him what she knew from Okina. "Huang Liwei came to see _jiya_ about six days ago," she informed him, still keeping a close eye on his face which had gone stony and pale. "She said she wanted our help in getting the Spider's Web –"

"She doesn't have it," Sano cut in. "Megumi," he added, his sentence fragmented.

Misao nodded in agreement. "_Hai_, but she insisted. To try to convince us, she offered us two names." Here, she had to pause, silently gauging his reaction but Sano did not disclose anything, not even the tiniest clenching of the jaws or hitching of the breath.

"She gave us your name, Sano," Misao finally said.

Sano's eyebrows drew together but other than that, there was nothing.

"And the other one?" He asked, already knowing the answer yet helpless to ask it.

"Yazaki Gi."

Yazaki Gi, Yazaki Gi…. Who was Yazaki Gi? A name. Meaningless characters. But who was the person who bore that name?

"Sano," Misao said in a low voice, and he turned sightless eyes to her. "Huang Liwei…. she knew about the Spider's Web. She knew everything, about Aoshi-_sama_ and the Oniwabanshuu…about all those years. And she knew who Yazaki Gi was."

* * *

It was almost noon and the streets were deserted.

Kaga looked around him carefully, watching out for any curious by-standers. In a neighborhood like this, it was an undue precaution but the habit had been deeply ingrained in him. It was hard to get rid of.

Only one guard stood outside the door but Kaga guessed correctly that there could be more inside. Ever since that Mu Long arrived fromHong Kong, no less than five guards went wherever Yazaki Gi went. These five were remarkably similar in build so that at first glance, one could mistake them for brothers. They all had shaved heads, leaving only the long braids that hung down to their knees. On their right forearms was a black tattoo of a three-headed dragon - the seal of the San Tou Long.

"_O-hayo gozaimasu_," he greeted the guard pleasantly as he approached.

The guard was not San Tou Long but he gave Kaga a thorough glance from head to foot before stepping aside to let him in. Inside, the five San Tou Long guards stood at attention, their tiny black eyes boring at him. Kaga nodded in acknowledgment.

During these past few days, he had often visited Yazaki, serving as his eyes and ears of the streets. He was Yazaki's spy and every guard knew that just as they knew that no one else besides those privy to their affairs knew the location of this _geisha_ house.

Kage removed his slippers and took a step in.

The receiving room of the _geisha_ house was empty. But this was not unusual at this time of the day. Kaga proceeded towards the next room, his steps muffled by his socks.

Suddenly, a sharp peal of laughter arrested him as a young _maiko_, fourteen, maybe fifteen years of age, dressed in bright gaudy but elaborate clothes and wearing heavy make-up, slipped out of the adjacent room. She stopped when she caught sight of Kaga, standing there like a statue. Then, she smiled bashfully, brightly affecting a blush, even under all that powder, as she lowered her eyelashes and covered her mouth demurely.

"_Sumimasen_," she murmured as she walked past him before disappearing down the hall.

Kaga blinked.

"Is that you, Kaga-_san_?" A voice called out.

The sound appeared to come from that room where the young _maiko_ had been before she came out.

Kaga followed it.

It was a square room, poorly lit, letting in almost no light save for the gloomy shine that managed to stream in through the semi-transparent paper paneling of the eastern wall. The sweet scent of perfume mixed with the somewhat acrid smell of incense burning filled his nostrils.

The lamps had not been lit. Kaga squinted his eyes to see more clearly.

Yazaki Gi was lying supine on a futon, a pale-faced _geisha_ hovering over him. Her slender hands glistened with oil as she rubbed them against his bare back.

There were…scars on his back. Vicious remnants of healed tissue. Pale pink lacerations criss-crossing the sallow skin. Whip marks. Kaga gave an involuntary shudder. Marks of his prison days.

They were not ordinary scars and they certainly did not belong on the skin of one such as Yazaki Gi. Like many of Yazaki's men, Kaga had heard rumors of how their employer got those hideous scars on his back. One persuasive story was that the scars were a result of Yazaki's near-death experience while in prison and his initiation into the San Tou Long.

It seemed plausible and Kaga believed it to be true.

Yazaki Gi suddenly turned his head to glance at him. He was not wearing his glasses and Kaga saw for the first time the black, beady eyes without the hindrance the spectacles provided. Yazaki's eyes were black like the night. Dark, so dark that it looked as though they could suck out the light right out of a room.

Kaga felt strangely out of place underneath the scrutiny of his black gaze. Then, Yazaki laid his face back down on the pillow. He made a gesture with his hand as he spoke, his voice sounding muffled, "Sit. I need to think."

Kaga obeyed and for several moments, there was no sound inside the room except for that which came from the slender hands massaging Yazaki's back. The _geisha_ acted like she was unaware of Kaga's presence, fully absorbed in the task. With nothing better to do, Kaga let his eyes and thoughts wander.

"What's the word on McKay?" Yazaki asked abruptly. He was still lying on the _futon_ and his head did not move.

Kaga was jarred from his thoughts so that it took him a moment to reply. "I have not been at liberty to find out but considering his disposition since I last saw him, we should have the formula soon enough," he said finally.

Yazaki suddenly flipped over to his side to cast a hard glare at him. If the _geisha_ attending to him was surprised, her face did not show it. She merely collected the vial of oil which fell to the floor, capped it, and waited. Her movements were infinitesimally patient and refined.

"Soon is not enough!" Said Yazaki in a loud voice. "We are not the only ones who want the formula," he scolded.

Kaga lowered his eyes and murmured, "_Gomen nasai_, Yazaki-_sama_. I will have someone see Maki-_san_ immediately."

"_Iie_. **You**go," Yazaki said. "And while you're at it, pick out six of your best men. It's time we take the first aggressive step."

Kaga saw the glint in the black pits of Yazaki's eyes and he could not suppress himself from stiffening a little. Those eyes were filled with nothing but hatred and revenge.

"_Hai_, Yazaki-_sama_," he said.

* * *

Megumi sat down slowly, her mind still whirling from what she had just been told. She stared up at David but her eyes were wide and unfocused.

_It's not possible. It can't be possible!_

_He's alive… How…?_

"Megumi?"

David was looking at her, blue eyes deep with concern and consternation. A little behind him stood the lean figure of Saitou Hajime.

The former Shinsengumi captain was wearing his dark blue officer's uniform and a noncommittal expression on his angular face. The smoke coming from the cigarette that perpetually dangled from his thin lips proved a gray, hazy curtain between them.

"It is for your own best interest that you refrain from going anywhere without someone to watch over you, Takani-sen_sei_," he was saying, the cool tone of his voice belying the concern that should have accompanied his words.

His presence was what caught Megumi's attention at first. Earlier, David came to her, saying that he had to tell her something. Curious, she followed him in only to find Saitou waiting there. Her astonishment caused her to lapse into speechlessness as she could do nothing but stand there.

David then hastened to explain everything to her, starting from the very beginning when he first met her at the hospital in Aizu and how he played a part in the complicated mess that apparently existed on account of her. He apologized profusely, almost beggingly, but Megumi had become deaf to that, hearing only two words over and over.

A name.

A name she never hoped to hear again.

Takeda Kanryuu!

* * *

TBC

* * *

**AN** Well, I've been bumming it out this weekend so I was able to edit a number of chapters. Putting them up now. As always, thank you for reading. More fanarts are coming soon. I've been pushing my friend to draw more for this fanfic.


	16. Chapter 15: Remembering

**Concessions**

_by lawless_

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

* * *

**Chapter 15: _Remembering_**

_Seven years ago..._

She was running, legs pumping hard, her hair flying behind her. She moved through the crowd, eyes turning first to the right then to the left, frantically looking for a means of escape. Behind her the sounds of running feet and coarse shouting approached.

In haste, she began pushing people away, trying get past them. But her pursuers were relentless. Gritting her teeth, she willed herself mentally, _Move! Run!_ They were getting close. She could hear their footsteps, the very sound of their breath. _Run!_ She stumbled into a narrow junk-infested alley, daylight barely penetrating the overlapping roofs of the crowded houses. She looked ahead, seeing only the narrow slab of light – her deliverance. If she could make it through the other side….

Behind her, she heard the shouts of her pursuers.

"She's over here!"

_Run!_

She was so close now. She heard the muffled sound of men stumbling on a few garbage dumps along the way. _Run!_ So close, so close, so close –

A shadow fell over her.

His appearance was so sudden she had no time to stop and she ran smack into his hard chest, the inertia forcing her back several steps and causing her to lose her balance. She started to fall, only to find grimy hands catch her from behind. She felt herself being lifted up, felt the man who caught her press himself against her backside, his breath hot on her neck.

The man in front of her was grinning lecherously. "End of the road, bitch!" He lashed out. "Too bad, _ne_?"

"You know you've caused us a lot of trouble?" The man holding her whispered and she grimaced at the feel of his stubbly cheek against her skin.

"Far too much trouble," the other interjected.

The young woman started to struggle, pulling away from the bearded man holding her. He let her go easily, laughing, confident that she had nowhere to run. She stumbled for a bit, before she righted herself and began looking around her. The men taunted her but it was as though she did not even hear them, seeing only the open door of a building.

Without a second thought, she darted in while the men who pursued her watched with mouth agape at the sight of their prey escape from their clutches yet again.

"_Chikuso_, she's still trying to run!" One of the men exclaimed.

"Megumi, come back here!"

But she had already dashed inside.

A dice game was in progress and the players all looked up at the sudden commotion. For a second, all she could do was stand there with a bewildered expression on her face. The first one to recover and speak something was a young man with brown hair, wearing a red bandanna. Much later, she would find out that he was Sagara Sanosuke.

"What do you want?" He spoke insolently.

Megumi only spared him a second's notice and instead threw herself at the feet of a red-haired swordsman, sitting _seiza_, his sheathed sword on the floor beside him.

"_Oro?_" The swordsman, whom she would later learn as Himura Kenshin, muttered.

"Some terrible men are after me!" Megumi exclaimed, injecting as much desperation and panic into her voice. She stared right into his eyes, noting absently that they were a strange shade of purple. "Please, save me!"

"Uhm, if you say so," Kenshin said, sending Sano a helpless look.

His young companion just shrugged and turned when two rough-looking men enter the gambling hall, looking for the woman. One of them was holding a rather large knife while the other one, the one with the beard, had nothing to offer but an extremely ugly face and foul words.

"You bitch!" He snarled.

"You can't run away from us, Megumi," Knife said loudly.

"_Che_, it's just one thing after another," Sano murmured from his corner. "What do you want?" He asked the newcomers.

At the sound of his voice and the arrogance that came with its tone, the two men turned to him with menace in their eyes.

"Stay out of this! This is none of your fucking business, boy!" Beard said to him.

"Hand her over to us, or else," Knife was threatening Kenshin.

As though not hearing any of their threats, Sano slowly stepped forward, coming within arm's reach of the two men. Noticing his meddling, Beard sent him a glare, warning him again to step back. However, before he could even finish his threat, Sano's right fist smacked into his nose, making him howl out in pain. The young man quickly followed the attack with a sock to the jaw, sending Beard flying right through the thin wall separating them from the other booth. Beard ended up sprawled on the hardwood floor, unconscious with a broken nose and one teeth missing. His partner, Knife, could only stare aghast.

"I'm in a bad mood right now so you better watch who you're talking to," Sano said, turning and resting his dark eyes on the other man in challenge.

"What-what do you think you're doing, you fool?" Knife said. "Are you tired of living? We're Kanryuu-_san_'s personal guards! Stand against us and you die, you hear?"

Sano snorted, shifting into a fighting stance. _Well, the bastards are looking for it_. He saw the man brandish his knife and step forward to attack, making an attempt to stab Sano's side. However, Sano anticipated the move and was able to avoid the blade completely. He whirled around, clenching his right fist and swinging it hard, connecting with the man's left rib cage.

Knife uttered a cry of pain, but he managed to swing his right arm – his knife arm – around, aiming to catch Sano's unguarded left side. With his left hand, Sano grasped the man's wrist, squeezing so tight a few bones were broken. The knife fell down harmlessly to the floor.

"I warned you, small fry," Sano hissed before he released the man's now useless wrist.

From somewhere behind him, he heard one of the gamblers murmur, "Kanryuu. Takeda Kanryuu is the… Oh, this ain't good."

"Takeda Kanryuu? You know the person?" Kenshin asked, turning to the man.

"Takeda Kanryuu is a businessman…supposedly," Sano answered, still with his back turned, head bowed down. "He's from the outskirts of town. Lately, he's gained a lot of power and influence. So much so that people began to wonder." He turned around then, facing his companions. "Something's going on underneath. His shady business has become so important even _yakuza_ and politicians don't dare meddle in his affairs. If these are Kanryuu's personal guards," he said, resting his eyes on Megumi, "then are you his mistress?"

* * *

_'You kill a cuckoo if it doesn't sing.'_

He was casually lighting a cigar, the flame making his black eyes glow behind his glasses as the sweet, sickening scent of tobacco filled the still forest air.

Megumi stared at his hateful figure, never once flinching at his subtle threat, even as thought filled her again with the horrors of what she had done.

"…no matter what you say, the fact is that you made opium that killed so many people," Takeda Kanryuu was calmly saying, standing there in the woods with the shadowy figure of the masked _onmitsu_, Hannya,just behind him.

"Even if you did meet your family again," he continued, "what would they say if they knew one of the famous Takani was producing opium?" His black eyes rested on her. "So you see, it's futile to run away. You and I and the opium all share the same fate from now till eternity."

He smiled then, that detestable smile that made his face even more menacing than it already was.

Megumi felt bile rise in her throat, every nerve shrinking from the way that his look and his tone made free of her. It was worse than his touches. The touches she could purge from her body by soaking in the bath until the scalding water turned her skin pink. As long as she didn't…. they meant nothing. But his words – his words were true and in her mind she believed every one of them. He played her guilt so well and touched her pride with his grubby hands.

He was starting to turn when suddenly he paused, adding as an afterthought: "Ah yes," he said in a deceptively congenial tone, "the house will burn at midnight tonight. You don't have much time so I suggest you think quickly and settle this." He chuckled softly, amused, now turning back and starting away. "_Ja ne_, Megumi."

And finally, he was gone, but his words continued to echo in her mind: _'You and I and the opium share the same fate….'_

Eternity. There was no end in sight. What choice did she have?

* * *

"You can choose to end it here."

The icy voice of the _Okashira_ seemed loud in the silence of the tower room at the top floor of Kanryuu's mansion. But, it was as though Megumi did not hear him as she continued to stare dazedly at his retreating back. She felt separate from her own body. Like something floating, watching the whole scene with the detached eyes of an observer. She was looking at herself below, a glazed look in her eyes while clutching a cool metal object in her hands.

A _tanto_.

Megumi felt something inside her twist. And automatically, her hand closed tightly on the handle of the dagger-like weapon. _'You can choose to end it here,'_ he said.

_Is it really that simple?_

_'You and I and the opium share the same fate from now till eternity.'_

This was a way out. Death was denied to her before. The scars on her wrist were testament to that. Eyes were everywhere. The small _onmitsu_ Beshimi's unpleasant voice came back to her: _'We are watching you. Wherever you go, even in the bathroom…'_

But now it was Beshimi's own _okashira_ who gave her this weapon in her hand. A way out. A parting gift from that cold man.

Megumi bowed her head and her midnight hair swirled to frame her pale face. The soft moonlight streaming from the single window shone upon her, casting eerie shadows in the tower room and creating a misleading illusion of a halo around her head.

_'You can choose to end it here.'_

The words echoed in her head and as they continued to pound her mind, they began to take on a mocking quality until she was forced to close her eyes in an effort to shut them out. Still, they persisted, driving her mad even as guilt and anguish filled her insides until she had to swallow hard at the tears that would not come.

_'You can choose to end it here.'_

_'I'm not eating anything made by that opium woman.' _Harsh words spoken in even harsher tone.

'_Even if you find your family again, what will they say…?'_

Megumi raised her head as she took one shuddering breath. Gone was the flood of emotions that had so terrified her. In its place was a cold calmness, precise objectivity. Yes, she did indeed have a choice...and she was going to take it. Placidly, she lifted her arms so that the deadly tip of the _tanto_ pointed directly to her throat. One slice of the carotid artery and she would bleed out, her blood seeping to the ground to drain her sin away.

'_You can choose….'_

The metal glinted silently in the dark but before the _tanto_ could touch her skin, a hand grasped the blade all of a sudden, effectively stopping its descent. And she heard him hiss angrily, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Shock and confusion were struggling inside Megumi and she had to blink twice to completely realize what happened. That was Sanosuke's voice. His bleeding hand wrenching the _tanto_ away from her. What was he doing here? When…? Her eyes glanced around the room, taking into account Kenshin's stricken face at the doorway and the boy Yahiko, both staring at the blade in Megumi's hands.

"Megumi-_dono_…" The _rurouni_ stepped forward, that gentle face, and the _tanto_ clattered to the floor.

Megumi covered her face, calling out brokenly, "I want to end it here! Why did you stop me? I can't go on living with all the things I've done. My death is the price to pay – "

"_You fool!_" Sano said in a dangerously low voice. "Do you really think you can make things right by committing suicide?"

"It is the only way!" As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she felt the stinging slap of his hand.

"Sano!" Kenshin had called out, but it was too late, and Megumi was staring at the man who saved her life, eyes wide with shock, the sharp imprint of his bleeding hand on her cheek.

He had his eyes closed, head tilted a bit as he inhaled deeply. When he looked at her, his eyes were no longer as stormy with rage as before but instead were dark with some unnamed emotion.

"Why…are you doing this?" Megumi ventured, searching his features.

Sano ran a hand briefly through his hair, unable to answer. After what seemed like an eternity, he said slowly, "I don't know."

Megumi watched him with face pale from tension and jumbled emotions. His words held no meaning – she did not understand him, but his hand was bleeding.

And she was alive.

* * *

TBC

* * *

**AN** It doesn't look like Watsuki-sensei is going to incorporate this part of Megumi's introduction in the manga in the live-action movie. Too bad. I always thought this was such a fundamental element in her story and the foundation of the two most popular ships involving her. Aoshi isn't in the movie at all. Such a shame.


	17. Chapter 16: One Perpetual Night I

**Concessions**

_by lawless_

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

* * *

**CHAPTER 16:_ One Perpetual Night I_**

The rain had finally let up.

He watched the coach crawl interminably towards him, its wheels digging into the rain-soaked soil, creating deep tracks in the mud. The shivering lackey was walking in front, one hand grasping the reins while the other was holding a lamp high up to see and avoid the ditches in this back woods dirt path.

Parting the bushes that served as his cover, Shinomori Aoshi stepped into the road and raised his arm in greeting.

"Who goes there?" The lackey called out suspiciously, trying to peer into the darkness.

Aoshi stepped right in front of the other man, allowing his tall form to tower over him. The lackey visibly shivered, whether from cold or fear, one could not tell. All he could do was stare up at him, mute.

"It's alright. It's him," a voice suddenly said from inside the compartment as the latch to the side door was released, allowing it to swing open.

Without sparing the lackey a second glance, Aoshi walked past him and climbed inside. His trained eyes were quick to pick out the slight frame of a woman sitting in the far side, near the window.

"How many?" She asked as soon as Aoshi was able to settle himself in his seat and the coach began to roll away.

"Ten," was the brief reply.

"Guards?"

"Too many for any normal household."

"It must be where they keep the armaments," the woman said almost to herself, obviously referring to the shipment that arrived in the dead of the night. The shipment that escaped the ever watchful eyes of the police.

Aoshi made a non-committal sound as he gazed out the window, watching the moving scenery impassively.

The coach was moving them out of the wooded areas now and the thinning line of trees showed him that the road was about to open into a plain.

A countryside road.

A lone coach traveling in plain view.

A coach much too vulnerable for comfort.

"Something's going on," he observed quietly.

The woman glanced at him and he turned as well to meet her onyx gaze coolly.

"A man arrived just now," he explained at her unasked question. "I counted six San Tou Long guards with him."

"Yazaki?" The Red Lantern agent, Huang Liwei, asked after studying him for a moment.

Aoshi shook his head. "Your _onmitsu_, Osaga, confirmed he's in Yoshiwara this afternoon. I don't believe he ever left since."

"True," she murmured, knitting her brows thoughtfully.

The red-light district had its own way of getting to a person. Enticements. No grown man would want to leave without first having a taste of its wares. It should be taken into consideration though that Yazaki Gi seemed to control a good part of it. _Shi_, he would be there, but not to enjoy its pleasantries. Rather, to check up on business.

"If it's not him, then it must be one of the elders," she said, frowning a little before the first signs of comprehension settled, easing the crease on her forehead. _Ah, Lao Mu, Lao Mu, if it's not you, then who?_

A hint of a smile appeared briefly on her features as she began to grasp the subtle direction things were going.

Of the three San Tou Long elders, Mu Long was the only one who took an active part in the "business." The other two, Jin Long and Yin Long, preferred to keep their hands clean, holding themselves up to the public as good and respectable while their fingers tightened around the strings that controlled all syndicate assets and interests.

Mu Long's presence here certainly meant that San Tou Long had upped the stakes even more. San Tou Long did not normally handle things themselves. That was an unwritten rule of all syndicates. Even the Red Lanterns followed such a rule. Why sully ones hands when one could hire someone to perform the dirty task?

No longer was this merely about opium, but the Spider's Web would still prove valuable. A pity Takani Megumi had to find herself in such a position.

"Interesting," she mumbled under her breath.

Noticing his curious look, she gave him a half-smile, saying, "Mu Long is here. It must mean something."

Aoshi blinked.

"Syndicate laws are not much different from those of the _onmitsu_ or the _yakuza_, Shinomori-_san_. A high price is paid for loyalty, and I have an inkling," she said, her onyx eyes flickering like black flame, "Yazaki is about to pay his."

* * *

"So that's it?"

Misao stared at Yahiko, completely taken aback. Then, her face suddenly flushed in annoyance when she noticed the grin the young man was trying to hide. "What do you mean asking me if that is it?" She snapped in an irritated tone. "Yeah, that's it!"

The two of them were seated in the dining room of the _dojo_ house, facing each other across the table. They had just finished dinner and Tsubame was in the kitchen, busying herself with the dishes while Yutaro (who was asked to come to help guard the _dojo_ and its residents) was removing his _haori_ from over his _fudangi_ and resting his _bokken_ against the wall near the sword rack. He refused the somewhat late dinner invite that Tsubame gave him, good-naturedly teasing her about it.

"But it's so…I don't really know what to say," Yahiko said, seriously this time. He cast her a sideways glance which Misao took in stride as she sighed in defeat.

"Tell me about it," she retorted.

After telling Sano all that she knew, they both arrived at the Oguni Clinic, expecting to find Megumi there only to receive a shock when they found Saitou's lithe form waiting for them instead. Sano had no idea, of course, and reacted rather strongly, which was only to be expected. He was still the old Sano after all. He accused Saitou of using Megumi as bait when he knew all along that Takeda Kanryuu was alive.

"You were warned, were you not?" The Miburo said, studying the red tip of his cigarette at first before he trailed amber eyes to Sano. "Your Red Lantern friends and the Oniwabanshuu –"

"Saitou, what's going on?" Misao interrupted. This was not part of their plan, not part of their deal. Why was he suddenly taking an active part in all this?

"The little bird decided to come out of its nest and sing."

Both Sano and Misao looked at him blankly. "Is that supposed to mean anything?" She finally asked when Saitou did not bother to explain.

The Miburo threw her an irritated glance before he took a puff of his cigarette and explained calmly, "David McKay. Notice anything familiar?"

She pondered for a bit, searching her head for names – there were a thousand names – and then it dawned on her. The shipped armaments. The ones that they watched arrive at the harbor and followed to that abandoned mansion in Urusawa.

"Pete McKay's brother," Sano answered. "What does the _gaijin_ have anything to do with this?"

Misao was staring at Saitou as things began clicking into place. "Your witness. Is that what he is?"

"Witness?" Sano repeated, looking at Misao in askance first before turning to Saitou. "What are you talking about? Witness to what?"

"_Ahou_, how much do you know about your client, Mr. Wu?"

"What?"

"Wu Tongshi is connected with a syndicate in Hong Kong. For months now, he's been illegally shipping armaments to our harbors, loaded in the ship that you half-**own**," Saitou told him with derision. "Tell me, what is stopping me from arresting you now?"

"You bastard," Sano hissed as he clenched his fists tight, but Misao placed a restraining hand on his arm, shaking her head slowly.

"You had nothing to do with it," she said to him quietly. "Saitou knows that because David McKay told him."

"Of course, I had my suspicions," Saitou sounded, dropping his cigarette to the ground and taking out another one, moving to light it.

The first connecting piece to the puzzle was Takani Megumi, the doctor who was almost disgraced because of her involvement in opium production were it not for the influence of one Himura Kenshin. There were two possible reasons why Yazaki Gi would be interested in her – either it was personal or purely for business economics. Takani Megumi, after all, was not unattractive but a businessman like Yazaki Gi could have any woman he wanted. Why choose an obscure doctor from Aizu and why to such extent?

Makimachi Misao gave him the push in the right direction by suggesting to check the prison records and revealing to him that not one, but two syndicates fromHong Kongwere working behind the scenes. After that, Saitou did not waste time in sending Chou out to that city to capture Wu Tongshi, with a little help from Oniwabanshuu operatives stationed there.

But even as Saitou was making his move, he could not help but notice that something was afoot. The armaments fromHong Kongkept coming, stored in various warehouses and transported at night to several different places. There were just so many that certainly Yazaki Gi knew he was increasing the risk of being found out. It was almost like he was plotting something other than how to make more profits from illegal trade.

And that was when Saitou knew that something big was about to happen, and it had nothing to do with San Tou Long or the Spider's Web formula.

"So that's really the plan," Yahiko said again, breaking through Misao's thoughts. "We're all just going to sit here and pretend that we don't know anything," that young man added, looking at her as though Misao had suddenly grown wings and started flapping around the room.

"What is so odd about it?" Misao replied to Yahiko's statement. "My people are out there but we could all still be watched," she told him, "Even now." She gazed out as she said this, her mouth forming a grim line.

As if on cue, the sound of shattering earthenware reverberated through the walls causing all three of them to jump, startled. Then, they heard Tsubame's faint exclamations coming from the kitchen. After a moment of silence, an apologetic Shinya, with downcast eyes, stepped out with his mother appearing right behind him, wearing the sternest, gentlest expression only she could muster.

"So sorry," Tsubame said to them a little sheepishly before ushering the boy to his room, her voice softly scolding.

Misao, Yahiko, and Yutaro exchanged glances and at the sight of each other's frightened faces, they burst into laughter.

"But are you certain, Misao-_san_, that this man, this Fujita Goro, can be trusted?" Yutaro later asked as he sat down with them. He would not know about Saitou Hajime, the man who now bore the name Fujita Goro.

He noticed there were several sake bottles and clay bowls scattered on the table before them. The young man eyed them curiously.

"Sano was here," Yahiko said in explanation.

"Oh."

"One thing you can always be sure about Saitou Hajime. He despises weakness," Misao answered, ignoring Yahiko's comment.

As soon as Saitou finished taking his time to explain to them the intricacies of Takeda's plot, it was then that he deemed it necessary to disclose that Megumi in fact was safe; he had sent her earlier to the _dojo_ with the express instruction to stay there. The woman had been too dazed by her recent discovery that Takeda Kanryuu was still alive that she did not make any protest. The _gaijin_ he sent back to his hotel, escorted by two of his subordinate officers who would stay with him until the investigation was over.

Never once during the entire course of his explanation did Saitou deny that he used Megumi as bait. Maybe he was still using her to force Yazaki Gi into action and therefore have the perfect excuse to storm that mansion in Urusawa.

"He's ruthless alright," Yahiko agreed. "But a ruthless man can be an ally sometimes. And he's already proven that when we went against Shishio inKyoto."

"But it's different now," Misao added quietly. She did not have to finish her statement to let them know just what she meant.

_It's different now... _

_...now, that Kenshin's gone. _

Even now, they were still feeling the loss that came with the _rurouni_'s death. It was not just the absence of his sword or the strength behind it. It was not even the protective sense the mere mention of his name could evoke. Rather, the loss was more deeply felt - in the air, under the skin, between the cracks on the walls where air seeped in, in the crying of the bamboo at night...

All three people were quiet as they sat there in reminiscence.

* * *

Quiet.

He found himself at the shrine, standing there and staring down at the two _kaimyo_, standing together side by side. It was too dark but if he squinted just a little, he could make out the half-burned joss sticks resting near the burner. The smell of incense was still in the air, drowned by the scent of rain-soaked ground. He considered lighting one stick but decided against it. Instead, he ran his fingers through his hair and swore without any particular reason. His hand found a knot on his nape and pressed down hard, kneading it until the pain disappeared.

If only all pain were that easy to get rid of.

He stared again at the graves of two dead friends, watching it as though any moment now, it would tell him something, give him the answers he sought. But none came and the night remained quiet.

He recalled what Saitou had told him earlier that afternoon. The bastard still thought he was the best there ever was. Or the worst. Either way, it never seemed to make that much impact. He just did as he pleased. They were kind of similar when he thought about it.

Sano caught himself and swore again when he realized that he was comparing himself to the ass.

_I must be drunk,_ he thought unnecessarily.

He never thought to wonder. He never asked himself why he always drank, why he liked to gamble things away, or why he did what he did. He just went ahead and did it without thinking about the repercussions of his actions. Most of the time, he got lucky. That was how he got half his share of the _Sunny Breeze_ with McKay. No one would ever believe that he won it at a Western card game called 'poker' but he did. Luck was also what made him strike it rich in the freezing mountains of the Sierras when he and McKay stood waist deep in the water, desperately panning for gold.

He _was_ lucky. Most of the time. And he spent his whole life riding on that luck.

"Your luck has run out, Sagara," Saitou's contemptuous voice pierced through the quiet and for a minute Sano thought the hated man was standing there. But, he realized he was only thinking, remembering.

_"What would Himura have done?" He said in that truly rare moment when he asked instead of mocked._

_The gray entail of his cigarette smoke hovered in the air between them while the gentle patter of rain filled the atmosphere._

_Sano laughed harshly at his words. He stepped forward then so he stood next to him and said, the bitterness he felt obvious in his voice, "Is that what passes up for motivation these days?"_

_The older man seemed startled although that was hardly believable. Saitou was the sort of man who never seemed startled. He eyed Sano, looking him up and down with narrowed amber eyes, before seeming to finally come to a decision._

_He gazed in front, puffing out smoke. "It's your choice to make," he said. Then without looking at him, Saitou stepped away, adding, "If you change your mind, you know what to do."_

_And Sano watched him retreat, his back turned towards him._

In the quiet of the shrine where his friends were buried, Sagara Sanosuke bowed his head and whispered a prayer. "Kenshin, _jou-chan_, if you're listening..."

* * *

TBC

* * *

**AN** 17 and 18 are supposed to be one chapter but I realize it's too long. I had to break it into two.


	18. Chapter 17: One Perpetual Night II

**Concessions**

_by lawless_

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

* * *

**Chapter 17: _One Perpetual Night II_**

A moment later, Sano stepped out of the shrine and took the stone pathway that led back to the main house. The oppressive quiet was getting on his nerves but he forced himself to relax. If not, then it would the gambling halls for him tonight.

At the _rouka_, he paused, thinking he had heard something, but the night was still. No sound was made. He looked around him and saw that he was standing outside a room, the pale yellow light from inside streaming through the paper panel. The glow from the lamp inside lit his path a little and cast the space farthest from the wall in shadows.

It was Megumi's room.

And there it was again.

That sound. Soft enough to allow him to attribute it to his imagination. But it was not just his imagination this time. It was a sob, hurriedly suppressed as though the person was trying to stop herself from doing so. He swallowed the painful lump that formed unbidden in his throat.

"_Kitsune_?" He called softly, unsure.

Nothing.

He frowned at the closed door, debating whether he should knock or just leave it at that. He hadn't really spoken to her for the last couple of days. She might have been avoiding him because every time he stopped by, she was either out or on her way to work at the clinic. He didn't offer to walk her there either like he used to. He was still smarting from her earlier rejection of him. For that was what it was: a rejection. Sano made up his mind and prepared to go. But before he could even turn, his ears picked out the wooden sound of the _shoji_ sliding open.

The light from inside streamed past her so that he could make out none of her features. He could not even see her expression, or the look in her eyes. Her hair seemed to glow a strange blue-black reminding him of a familiar scene of an earlier time, her hand holding a _tantou_. The light that streamed from behind her turned the simple white _yukata_ she was wearing sheer and nearly transparent. With some effort, Sano pulled his gaze from the tantalizing vision and sought out her eyes instead. "Megumi?" He asked.

She shifted, allowing him entrance into the room. "Would you come in here, please?"

Sano wordlessly did as she asked and followed her into the room. He tried not to think where he was, could think of nothing else actually. It smelled like her, this room, something soft and dry, like the fall of petals in spring. The light from the lamp illuminated the small space, casting strange, long shadows on the walls. Megumi stopped when she reached the low table in the corner. It was littered with notebooks, a bamboo brush and some ink. She knelt down and gestured for him to do the same.

"Megumi?" He tried again, not sure what she wanted of him.

"Take off your clothes," was what she said next.

Sano stared at her, and she must have noticed it and sensed the direction in which his thoughts had taken because a faint ghost of a smile curved her lips.

"I need to look at your wounds and change the bandages."

"Oh," he sounded sheepishly.

She was busying herself with stuff she pulled out from her medicine box while Sano was shrugging out of his _gi_ and unbuttoning his shirt. She finished first, having laid out strips of clean, white cloth on the _tatami_ with the scissors she used to cut them, and watched him work on his shirt buttons. For some reason, he was nervous. Gone was his confidence of an earlier time as he stripped himself in front of her. She was so quiet, no mocking comments or cheap pot shots thrown his way, to ease the tension. He still could not see her face.

Finally, he was done with the last button and was peeling off the shirt from his back. _There_, he thought, adding the shirt to the pile that was his _gi_, then sat up straight when he felt cold fingers slide up his arm to his shoulder, pressing hard. Pain shot up his brain but more than that, he was aware of her hand on his bare skin. He flinched involuntarily.

"Does it hurt?" She asked, her voice sounding husky in the quiet of the night.

"A little," he managed through gritted teeth.

"I need to see if it's infected," she murmured. "Could you lean forward, please?"

She rose from her seated _seiza_ position just as he was bending down. Her face was so close, he could feel her breath fan his cheeks. She moved slightly and her lips nearly brushed his jaw. She was reaching behind her for the lamp, which he took from her nerveless fingers. Holding up the light, he saw for the first time the faint tracks of tears down her cheeks. "_Kitsune_," he said gently, painfully, his voice a caress.

She did not reply, merely picked up the scissors and started cutting away the bandages around his shoulder. Her hands were quick and methodical for she had done this many times before. But as the last piece of cloth was peeled away to reveal the angry red gash of the wound, she leaned forward and kissed him – a gentle touching of lips. Sano stiffened in surprise, then Megumi was leaning back, putting away the soiled cloth to pick up the fresh ones.

"I'm sorry," she whispered behind a cloud of hair.

He reached forward with his other hand to tuck the midnight strands away. "For what?" He whispered back. For the life of him, he did not know what she was apologizing for. He was the one who left, gone to let them deal with the fallout – of the war, of Kenshin's death, of Kaoru's. He left without even saying goodbye. If anything, he should be the one on his knees now, his forehead on the ground, apologizing for all his sins and past mistakes. Without him, they had been able to carry on, build entire lives for themselves. There was no place for him here, and she was telling the truth that day – he had no right, no right at all to come back and muck everything up.

"For everything," she said. Her hands were clenched against the edges of her _yukata_. Sano longed to take them, and lace their fingers together.

"Everything what?" he gently prompted.

She glanced at her hands. "…The things I said. The things I didn't. I…" Her voice trailed off. She picked up the bowl of poultice she had prepared for him and spread a liberal amount of it on his wound with a wooden spoon.

Sano hissed at the contact of the cold paste against his burning skin but he endured it. She continued to talk haltingly. "…I never thanked you for everything that you did…for me. Starting with how you…saved my life back then…at Kanryuu's mansion."

He blinked in surprise. "But that was years ago, _kitsune_," he said. "Anyway, you saved my life plenty of times back then, too."

"But you didn't know me and you…didn't owe me anything. You had no reason to save the life of the woman who caused your friend's death."

Sano scratched his head, nonplussed. "You know what? I don't think I needed a reason. I mean, I was such a bumbling idiot, I probably wasn't thinking of anything at all."

She just looked at him.

"_Kitsune_," he said, more seriously this time. "You know you don't have to thank me, right? Or say sorry? I'd do anything for you." The words came out before he could hold back or even tell himself he was setting himself up for another painful rejection. "Anything," he repeated, knowing it was going to hurt just as much the second time, and yet meaning the words with all his heart. He had no right, but….

"Why?" She asked after a moment.

He reached forward to wipe at her cheek, finding it wet. "Because," he said, studying the tear, "I care."

Again, she asked, "Why?"

"…because it's you."

That was it then. The simple truth. All along, he'd known what decision to make. He never wanted to get involved. He thought he'd put the past behind him, his days of fighting, content only in watching the hull of a ship slice through the water, creating white sea foam in its wake. But they dragged him into this with their cryptic warnings and mild threats, forced him to ask questions and dig deeper into the case. And now, he had his answers. Takeda Kanryuu was back from the dead and Megumi's safety was at risk. How could he walk away now? He would never forgive himself for walking away that day in the docks so long ago. With that ship leaving port bound for Osakawent the last quiver of Sagara Sanosuke's egoism. After that, he had never been able to wear his old _gi_ with the "_aku"_ at its back.

"I don't need any other reason than that, _kitsune_," he finished.

"I don't want to see you get hurt," Megumi admitted softly, almost shyly as she pressed fresh bandage over the wound on his shoulder.

"You don't have to worry about me," he assured her in a gruff voice, lifting his arm slightly to make room for her fast-working hands. She made a closed knot, tying the bandage in place. "I'm used to getting beat up. I'm tough, remember?" He searched for her eyes, found it and felt the lightening of the load when he saw that she was smiling a little.

"Too well sometimes, _toriatama_. And yet," she said, furrowing her brows slightly as she watched him put his shirt back on, "I feel like I've never known you and never will. Not completely anyway."

"Well," he said, lowering his voice, dropping his hands to his side, leaving the buttons of his shirt undone, "we shall have to remedy that, shan't we?" His mouth curved in a wicked grin even as his eyes turned lecherous. "I can think of a few ways we might enjoy."

"Really?"

"Really."

She smirked, then pulled at his ear. "Be serious, Sanosuke."

"I'm serious. Come with me, Megumi," he said gravely even as he gingerly fingered the hurt ear. Then, he was putting on his _gi_, shrugging it on. "I'll be good, I promise. I won't even get into fights. Well, not that many anyway. I –"

She interrupted him by putting her fingers over his lips. In the light of the lamp, her eyes looked bright. "What you're saying –"

"I'm saying," he spoke over her words, "_be_ with me. Stay by my side." He took her hands this time, one in each, rubbing his thumbs against the smoothness of her knuckles. "We'll go places," he continued, too caught up to notice that she'd gone pale, "trek up Mongolia to meet my friends, then China. We'll visit America. I might even show you exactly where I struck gold in California. After that Europe. Ah, the things I could show you, _kitsune. _You'll never believe your eyes – what's wrong?" Her countenance had changed.

Slowly, she withdrew her hands from his. "Sano, I can't." Her voice was breathless. It seemed each word she pushed out seared the back of her throat. "I can't go with you. I can't…leave here. I **can't**."

"Megumi…."

She couldn't look at him. "You don't understand what you're asking, Sanosuke."

He lifted his hands and cupped her cheeks, lifting her face up to him. He'd expected resistance, even the ultimate rejection. But he could see now he'd totally miscalculated. There was genuine fear in her eyes and full panic in her voice.

"_Na, kitsune_," he said gently, leaning forward, pressing their foreheads together. He had a habit of pushing too far, too fast. Always had. It was this trait of his that got him into more unnecessary fights than he could count. He knew it. "I do understand," he told her, almost pleadingly. "I understand more than you think. I'm not demanding anything, Megumi. This…this thing with Takeda, it's going to end. Sooner than you think. I just want you to know, I just want to show you the alternative. Is that alright?"

She closed her eyes, and swallowed. It took her a long time to answer. "…alright," she finally whispered.

Sano felt like he might bawl right then and there like a two-year-old. Small explosions were happening inside his chest. He couldn't really speak. She hadn't really said anything that meant what he wanted it to mean, but he was overcome with a pleasure so purely emotional he couldn't describe it.

After some length, Megumi added, "But I want you to promise me one thing, _toriatama no baka_."

"What's that?" He asked, unable to resist brushing his lips against her temple. He heard her breath hitch a little at the contact, before she continued:

"I want you to come back from your business with the Miburo safe and preferably with all your limbs intact. I don't trust that guy one bit."

Sano chuckled. "Is that all?" Probably, she was remembering that time when he dueled Saitou Hajime and he lost so ignominiously to the ex-Shinsengumi. Megumi was the one who tended to his wounds. It was the only other time she didn't scold him for his folly. The other time was when he broke both his hands beating up the guys who made slurs against her honor and spread lies about her practice.

She pressed her lips together. "You don't have to do this, you know."

"I know. But I want to." He was doing this for her. Well, there was that nasty business with Mr. Wu and his prior involvement with the Red Lanterns, but Megumi's safety was primordial. Right now, it didn't look like Takeda was going to make his move just yet but he felt certain that as soon as Saitou put his plan into motion, it would create a domino effect and Megumi might get caught up in the fallout. He must do everything he could to protect her.

And David McKay? A small voice prompted quietly. The thought of Pete's younger brother only brought up a faint sense of pity in Sano and some degree of anger, but it was a brief flare, replaced with the sense of contentment at the knowledge that Megumi was here with him now, and it didn't seem like she wanted to be anywhere else.

Reaching down, he drew her against him, hard, and just held her there. She didn't back away and instead, wrapped her arms around his waist. He kissed her hair, drawing in the scent that had so appealed to him. In answer, she buried her face against his neck, her breath warming his skin.

And that was all it took to change the mood. Desire, kicked into high gear by other emotions, held sway.

"_Kitsune,_" he murmured, bringing his hands up to stroke at her neck, softly at first, then more insistently. She moved her head and sought his lips with her own.

Her mouth was warm, as he'd known it would be, but softer, incredibly softer, than he'd remembered. She hesitated. There was a sweetness in that, a sweetness that was its own allure. So he lingered, longer than he'd intended, until his name on her lips became a soft caress as her hand stroked his hair. When he finally drew back, her eyes were clouded. She looked lost.

"Ask me to stay, Megumi," he urged gently, tenderly, certain that he wouldn't be able to sleep anyway and he'd rather spend the remaining hours of darkness with her, watching her in slumber, listening to her breathe. Even if it was from the next _futon_. "I don't want to be anywhere else."

"Then stay, Sanosuke," she answered. "I don't want you to be anywhere else."

* * *

TBC

* * *

**AN** This chapter suffered total revision. In the original, Sano and Megumi made love. Yep. Yes, I know, right? Why did I change it? Why? Whyyyyy? Well, it's because of REASONS. The same REASONS that made me re-write "Turbulent Emotions" so that they didn't kiss in that chapter at all. And because of this chapter, the story's ending changes a bit. I might even have to add entirely new chapters to make the proper resolution. I'm still thinking about that actually.


	19. Chapter 18: A Dragon Breaks Wind

**Concessions**

_by lawless_

* * *

DISCLAIMER: Nobuhiro Watsuki is god.

* * *

**CHAPTER 18: _A Dragon Breaks Wind_**

The ride back to Tokyo was for the most part uneventful. They got through the worst open areas without any difficulty so they were able to make good time. Like carelessly spilled paint on the otherwise gray canvas, the eastern sky was already streaked in pale pink and gold by the time they reached the outskirts of the capital. However, when they reached a crossroads, both people inside the coach suddenly noticed something different.

Shinomori Aoshi roused from his meditative state, his cool, dark eyes opening suddenly. He stared intently at the other occupant of the coach.

"You noticed it, too?" Huang Liwei asked from her side of the compartment.

"Hm," the former _okashira_ replied, already leaning a little to the right to try to draw the curtains back. Someone had been following them and it seemed that that someone was adept at masking his _ki_.

"Please don't do that, Shinomori-_san_," Liwei said. Her voice, though calm, held a warning note.

Aoshi turned to look at her at the same moment that the coach suddenly lurched to a stop. A string of expletives could be heard from the lackey but it was quickly cut off by the unmistakable sound of metal cutting through air. Then, there was a gurgling sound, the kind of sound a person made when trying to gasp for breath through a slash in their throat.

Aoshi's eyes widened just a bit and he made another attempt to jump out of the coach to investigate. Again, his diminutive companion stopped him as she grabbed the sleeve of his long coat. There was little change in her expression but her complexion had blanched a bit.

It was suddenly quiet outside. Even the wind was quiet.

Suddenly, the sound of a saber being sheathed cut through the ensuing stillness. And the air began to fill with the tangy, sweetly metallic scent of blood as the passing breeze chuckled softly.

"Ah, cursing at animals never brought anyone any good."

Though the voice was loud enough for them to clearly make out the words, it was extremely difficult for them to discern which direction it came from. One minute, it seemed to come from the east. The next, it came from the west. Sometimes, it was near. Other times, it was far. The voice scattered and traveled like the wind.

Liwei's onyx eyes narrowed when she heard it.

Studying her expression, Aoshi ventured to ask, "You know this person?"

"He is San Tou Long," Liwei replied simply. "He must have followed us from Urusawa."

"Hm," he said thoughtfully.

"Come, come, what's the matter? Don't you have face?" The person outside taunted.

"I'll take care of this," Liwei said quietly. "Whatever happens, don't come out."

Aoshi looked at her a moment but seeing the determined light in her onyx eyes, he sat back and nodded.

Huang Liwei climbed out of the coach to face her opponent only to find there was no one there. Not even the lackey although a telltale pool of blood could be seen on the ground where his lifeless body had been before it was dragged away. The horses had grown quiet, their ears twitching and their muscles tensed. It seemed as though any moment now, they would bolt into a run.

Liwei murmured at them in her native tongue, her tone reassuring. Then, she scanned her surroundings carefully and began to speak slowly, pronouncing each word distinctly, "Feng Long, Feng Long! Is it you, little dragon?"

No response came.

Liwei frowned. The trees were quiet. Not a single wind blew by.

And then, she heard a commotion coming from the left and she turned, just in time to see the flash of metal, heading towards her throat. She moved quickly, bending at the waist to avoid the saber before leaping back, all the while keeping her eyes trailed on the man that seemed to have materialized from nowhere.

Feng Long, the 'Wind Dragon', was grinning at her, a kind of childish mischief visible in his eyes as he sheathed his saber once more. He was wearing the traditional black uniform of flowing vest and long pants. The tattoo of a three-headed dragon on his hand was glaring against the snowy whiteness of his skin as he grasped the black hilt of his saber tightly.

"Little fox_, _I knew it was you," Feng Long said amiably, speaking in his native tongue.

Liwei was not fooled by his familiar manner. She kept her face blank as she said, "So, it is really you."

"_Hao_," Feng Long affirmed, still in that amiable tone. He was smiling at her as though he knew her and they were intimate friends but his black eyes were burning as though he could not wait to get his hands around Liwei's neck and strangle her.

"Why did you have to kill the lackey?" Liwei asked softly.

From her tone, it sounded as though she was more concerned about being deprived of transport than of having her life endangered by the San Tou Long member before her.

Six San Tou Long members, Shinomori said. Six dragons. Huang Liwei did not know who the other five were but she knew Feng Long and he was the kind who worked alone. Did Lao Mu send him? Or was the Wind Dragon acting by himself again?

"The wind killed the lackey," Feng Long told her, still smiling.

"For what?" Huang Liwei asked.

"Who knows what the wind thinks."

The two syndicate members stared at each other, black eyes – one pair burning with an unspeakable emotion, the other cold like black ice.

"Do **you** know what the wind thinks, Huang Liwei?" Feng Long said, voice coming out in a hiss.

Onyx eyes flickered. "Does the wind wish to kill Huang Liwei?"

"Does Huang Liwei deserve to die?"

She half-smiled and did not answer. Everybody deserved to die.

Feng Long saw this, the half-smile on her porcelain mask, and he smiled as well, his pale hand still grasping the black hilt of his saber. "What does Hong-se Ling Tou make of this?" He wondered, eyes boring into hers.

"How curious the little dragon," she said in a low voice.

Seeing that Huang Liwei was not willing to disclose anything, Feng Long decided to try a different tactic. "I hear that a snake was spared by the Red Lanterns. Has Hong-se Ling Tou gone blind?"

"Hong-se Ling Tou sees all."

"_Hao, hao_," he said, nodding and smiling. "But only if Huang Liwei shows her. What will happen if this Feng Long came to Hong-se Ling Tou and say –" his eyes darted to hers "—that Yang Liu is alive?"

"You will die," she said simply.

"I will die?" He repeated, affecting a surprised face.

"Before you even take another step."

"_Hao, hao_," he said again, agreeing, "but –" a pause "—will Hong-se Ling Tou show the same mercy to the serpent in her midst?"

Liwei merely gave him a fleeting half-smile before asking softly, "What of Feng Long? What will Lao Mu say when he finds there's a dog among his dragons?"

Feng Long's smile faltered and his eyes shot up. He gripped his saber more tightly and he said in a low voice, "Who would believe poison from your mouth?"

"Once, Lao Mu believed every word that comes out of this mouth."

"Because you _fooled_ him!" Feng Long suddenly shouted. "You fooled a man," he repeated slowly, more calmly this time, adding, "but you did not fool Feng Long. No, this Feng Long knew…about the poison in your soul."

Liwei's face betrayed another half-smile while a single hand dug under her cloak. "You knew?" She said. "Then why –" her fingers grasped the objects she sought "—did you spare this poisoned soul that night?"

And with that, she whipped her cloak aside and made several flicking movements with her wrists.

Three white blurs flashed through the air.

Feng Long was taken by surprise but he was able to dodge by moving back the shoulder Liwei had been targeting. If he had been any slower, if he had been anyone but Feng Long, he would have been hit by Liwei's lethal needles.

Her movements were so quick, so unexpected while she spoke to him in even tones that belied her true intentions. By darting quickly to the side, the needles flew past Feng Long to plant themselves harmlessly on the trunk of a nearby tree.

In a flash, Feng Long's saber was in his hand and he was leaping towards her, his white face contorted with an unspeakable emotion. Liwei threw three more poisoned needles in his way but the black hilt blurred and the tiny metals tinkled to the ground. She backed a few steps only to find herself bumping against the side of the coach. She turned; Feng Long came at her.

The saber flashed and Liwei quickly moved to the side, stretching both her arms in front as she did so. She tried to grasp one of Feng Long's wrists with one hand forming a hook while holding out the other in the stance called "To Disassociate the Muscles; To Dislocate the Bones" but he was faster and his saber swung towards her once more. She bent to the side again and sent a strong palm towards his stomach.

Feng Long breathed in, creating a hollow there so that Liwei ended up hitting empty air. Crouching low, she extended her right leg instead, bending it forward to hook his leg while at the same time, she sent a feint blow towards his chest.

Feng Long blocked the feint but was unprepared for the leg that tried to trip him. He staggered back, almost losing his balance. He blinked at her in surprise, watching her diminutive figure standing there, completely unruffled.

"The Crippled Leg Traps the Man!" He exclaimed, correctly identifying the martial arts move Liwei used on him. His face was a little flushed from his recent exertion but other than that, there were no other signs that he had just been through a fight.

Liwei did not respond and instead, continued to watch him impassively.

Feng Long started chuckling. "So your _gong fu_ is not bad, but how is your _qing gong?_ Can the little fox outrun the wind?" And with that, the black hilt blurred again, the blade of the saber flashing towards her.

He was moving so fast, the saber like a silver snake coming at her from every direction. She dodged a slash to her right, bent her leg and leapt high, holding her thumb and index finger out and pointing them towards his chest. The Tail of the Dove pressure point! But Feng Long saw it, knew what she intended, and he let out a shout so loud like bells tolling, releasing a strong blast of _qi_ as he did.

Huang Liwei fell, staggering, holding both hands to her ears. Without stopping to think, and already circulating back his internal strength, Feng Long stabbed, watching the saber disappear into her right shoulder.

She let out an anguished cry.

The sound made Feng Long take an unconscious step back, still holding the saber, white hand grasping the black hilt. Crimson liquid dripped from its blade. The three-headed dragon tattooed on his hand seemed to grin, excited by the scent of Red Lantern blood.

"…it hurts…." Huang Liwei gasped, pressing a palm to her bleeding shoulder. Her onyx eyes, always so cold and clear, were now covered in a haze. She crumpled to the ground, gasping, "...you hurt me…Feng'er…."

The ground was turning red from her blood.

Feng'er_._ Suddenly, Huang Liwei's porcelain face clouded Feng Long's head and he took a step forward, dragging his black-hilted saber behind him. The Red Lantern was not moving. He took another step closer and all of a sudden he heard several zings and saw only a white hand, delicate like an orchid in bloom… flashing!

His saber flew, deflecting the needles in mid-air, causing them to drop harmlessly to the ground. Then he returned his saber to its scabbard and looked down at Huang Liwei's cold onyx eyes.

She was smiling.

Slowly, Feng Long raised a hand and found a single needle stuck to his neck.

"You hurt me, Feng'er," she intoned.

* * *

The _dojo_ was still half-awake when Misao came hurrying through the wide gates with a look in her eyes that had Yahiko pausing in his daily practice.

"Misao, what's happened?" He asked in alarm, quickly returning the _sakabatou_ back to its _saya_.

"Where's Sano?" She said.

"At Tae's. That's where he's staying," Yahiko answered.

"I checked. He's not there. I've got to find him."

"But I'm sure he left last night. Didn't you leave with him?"

Inside Megumi's room, connected to the back _engawa_, Sano was shrugging on his crumpled shirt, mechanically doing up the buttons. He thought he heard a sound and he glanced towards the _futon _where Megumi slept, her hair spread out on the sheets like a black star. Her eyes were closed. One hand was thrown to the side towards the spot that Sano occupied just moments earlier and a glimpse of a shapely leg, pale like moonlight, was revealed under the covers.

Sano felt his blood stir and had to look away as he continued to put on his clothes. The boots now. He sat down and began pulling them on, tying the laces into a knot, his gaze straying towards her again.

Megumi was wide awake. For a long time, she did not speak. She listened to him, the sound of cloth brushing against cloth, the thud of his boots, and when he finished and prepared to stand, she said, "You're going."

It was not a question. His back was turned to her and in her mind's eye, she could almost see the invisible _'aku'_ branded in his soul. He might have shed his old raiment, worn stubbles on his chin, seen the world, but she was realizing only now that he was – still was – the boy who took the _tantou_ away from her.

"Remember your promise," she whispered.

He inhaled deeply, but did not say anything. Instead, he wordlessly searched for the knot behind his head, finding it and unraveling it. He crept towards her, on his hands and knees, grasping the red strip of cloth tightly between his fingers. Megumi sat up, eyes wide, realizing what he was doing. Sano was silent as he took her right hand by the wrist and placed the bandanna against her palm. "Hold on to this for me, will you?" He asked with a crooked grin. Then he slid the _shoji_ open quietly and stepped out.

"Sano!" Yahiko exclaimed when he walked into the courtyard a little while later. "Where have you been? We thought you went back to the Akabeko and – did you spend the night here?" The young man was looking at Sano, studying his haggard face and unshaven appearance.

"Not too loud, brat. Got a hangover," Sano mumbled, scratching his chin.

"You drunk-ass, did you fall asleep at the shrine?" Yahiko accused.

Sano did not answer him but instead turned to Misao. "What's the matter? I could hear you guys all the way from there."

"It's Huang Liwei."

* * *

Saitou Hajime was displeased. _Very _displeased. And as usual when he was this displeased, he smoked.

He was standing at the doorway, looking inside one of the more luxurious rooms of the posh inn where the now absentee David McKay was supposedly staying the night. Saitou had earlier sent two of his subordinates, both junior officers, to keep a close eye on the _gaijin_, making sure that he never came into any harm.

McKay was too important to the investigation. He was the only witness they have in custody who could attest to the fact that Wu Tongshi, the man behind the illegally shipped armaments into the country, was a dealer who worked for Yazaki Gi, who in turn had close ties to Deputy Defense Minister Shimamoto Kagure and his attaché Aochigi Jiruo. But, the imbeciles had the audacity to get drunk while on duty, an offense which earned them two huge whelps on their foreheads where their moody superior had smacked them...hard.

Several insults later, a couple more blows, and a threat to get them decommissioned, the two juniors hurriedly left the inn, still looking bewildered in the face of the Miburo's wrath. Their orders were clear:

"Scour every goddamned _sake_ house in the city, _ahou_! And don't even think about showing your idiotic faces here until you find McKay!"

They were all but stumbling over their own feet to get out of there.

Saitou casually propped one shoulder against the doorframe, dropping his cigarette on the pristine floorboards and stomping on it with his booted foot. A maid passed by at that moment, her eyes inadvertently glued to the stain Saitou's cigarette was making on the floor, but seeing the feral look in the tall man's face, she left without a word.

Completely ignoring her, he took another stick from his breast pocket and lit it. Then for a quiet moment, he stared morosely at the random figures the gray smoke formed in the air, all the while wondering where the _gaijin_ could possibly be this early in the morning, unaware that at that moment, the _gaijin_ in question was walking down the road leading to the Kamiya Dojo.

* * *

David McKay looked gaunt and unkempt, one side of his blond head looking ragged, the hair standing on edge. His clothes were a little wrinkled as though he had slept in them and his steps were uneven, seemingly unable to maintain a steady pose. The people who passed him by had to wrinkle their noses as they caught a whiff of alcohol that seeped from his skin and through his clothes.

Anyone who knew the happy-go-lucky American would not have recognized him if they saw him today. He really looked the worse for wear.

David blinked when he saw the _dojo_ loom ahead, the wooden signboard with the unintelligible characters telling him that he at least was going in the right direction. All his life, he had been going the wrong way. Always.

He wanted change. He wanted to…at least….

_Megumi._

He wanted to talk to her last night. Wanted it so desperately that he told a lie to his guards, those officers that Lieutenant Fujita had assigned to watch him, as he went out into the dark to find her.

He stepped from behind that tree. It was so dark he could barely see a thing but there was light from the main house. There was Megumi…and Sagara Sanosuke.

Now, he was standing in front of the _dojo_ again. An old compound. Ancient. What was it she said? The Kamiya Dojo dated back to many years before the Bakumatsu. An old place. On the surface it looked different from when it was first built by the founder of the _kendo_ school. But it never changed.

David stared at the wooden placard on the gate post for the longest time. Then with a deep breath, he took a step forward and entered.

When the gate closed behind the _gaijin_, the group of six men, who were following him, stepped unto the road, grinning at each other, the swords they held in their hands glinting in the sunlight.

Kaga said to these men, "Wait on my signal."

* * *

The street that slithered past a row of long houses near the Ginza District was deserted. Sano and Misao walked casually along it, keeping an eye out for danger. When they reached a spot under the shade of a ginkgo tree, its autumn branches almost bare, Misao tapped Sano lightly on his arm, nodding in signal.

A single pigeon cooed.

Sano started but Misao only raised both hands, cupping them over her mouth and made the same sound. An answering coo. In the direction of the third long house to their right. Now, Misao dropped one hand, leaving only one over her mouth, forming a circle. She twiddled her fingers, creating a lilting whistling sound. The same answering sound was made.

Sano glanced down at the _onmitsu_ and said dryly, "One of yours?"

"Yep."

She stepped forward and from one of the houses, Sano was uncertain which one, something came floating out. It was a piece of paper, folded once. The Oniwabanshuu Okashira caught it without any trouble, opened it and read its contents. Then she took out a match from somewhere in her clothes and lit it, reducing the note to ash.

Watching her, Sano raised an eyebrow questioningly. Misao was walking back to where he waited, green eyes hooded. Somehow he knew her next words before she even uttered them.

"There's been a change of plans."

* * *

TBC

* * *

**AN** The chapter title is a total joke. It's not even funny. Sorry.


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